


Deal or No Deal

by LetticeDouffet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fremione - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hermione meets twins first, Slight Dumbledore Bashing, Slow Burn, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 40,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28737774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetticeDouffet/pseuds/LetticeDouffet
Summary: What might have happened if Hermione met Fred and George on the train instead of Ron and Harry?  (What started as a one shot that grew into something more.)
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley, Luna Lovegood/George Weasley
Comments: 51
Kudos: 391





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at re-imagining the original stories so please be kind!

**Chapter 1**

**September 1991**

Hermione Granger stalked along the corridor of the speeding train, eyes focused on the floor. Suddenly the door to the compartment beside her burst open and two older boys with red hair tumbled out, knocking the girl to the ground in the process.

“Sorry!” The pair exclaimed in unison. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Thank you,” she replied in a rather annoyed voice.

They helped Hermione to her feet as she dusted off her new, neatly pressed school robes. She drew herself up to her full height and tucked a lock of unruly brown hair behind her ear before inquiring, “Have either of you seen a stray toad? A boy named Neville’s lost one.”

The pair chuckled at her precocious tone.

“Haven’t see one yet —” started one boy.

“— but if we do we’ll be sure to let you know. _Whom_ shall we ask for?” finished the other.

“My name’s Hermione. Hermione Granger. And you are…?” 

The twins traded a look then bowed in turn. 

"George Weasley," said Fred.

"Fred Weasley," said George.

She considered them carefully then shook her head. "Oh, I don't think so."

Before they could respond the girl shouted, “Neville! Look! There he is!” She pushed past the Weasley twins and sprinted after the runaway amphibian, bypassing a compartment occupied by two boys —one red haired, the other dark with glasses — excitedly perusing the mound of sweets sitting between them.

Fred and George shrugged and went about their business but they paid special attention during the sorting ceremony, both nodding their approval when a certain girl with bushy dark hair was sorted into Gryffindor house.

xxx

The next morning at breakfast Hermione was already at the table when they arrived. As they strolled past she glanced up from her book and addressed each one in turn.

“Hello, Fred. Hello, George.”

The boys froze as they realized she had correctly identified each of them in a matter of seconds. They threw themselves down on the bench on either side of her.

"How'd you know that?" they asked in unison.

“Know what?” she asked. “How to tell you apart or the fact that you lied about which one was which on the train?”

She now had the pair’s full attention.

"Hold on. Even if you could tell us apart — " started Fred.

" — which you can't — " continued George.

" — how'd you know we switched names?"

"I have cousins in America who are identical twins. It's a misnomer, really. No two things are ever _exactly_ alike. There's always differences if you know what to look for. As for the name switch, that's the oldest twin trick in the world - introducing yourself as the other one. Common really."

Fred snorted indignantly. "Common! Did you hear that Forge?"

"I did indeed, Gred. The cheek of an ickle firstie!"

Hermione shrugged, now engrossed in her book. "It is what it is."

"What it _is_ — " challenged Fred.

"— is a lucky guess," agreed George.

"Couldn't do it again — "

" — even if she tried."

She kept her eyes on her book as she sighed. "Fine. Leave and come back in a second time."

The twins didn't hesitate before dashing out to the hallway. A full minute passed before they swaggered back to the table and plopped down on either side of Hermione who had remained absorbed in her studies. She only briefly looked up as she pointed to her left. 

"Fred." 

She didn't even bother turning her head as she flicked her finger to the right. 

"George." She picked up a piece of toast and resumed reading.

By this point the boys were fit to be tied.

"How did you — "

" — do that?!"

"Who’s tipping you off?!" demanded Fred.

"No one. It's quite simple," stated Hermione.

"Simple?! It's been thirteen years — ."

" — and our own family can't do it!"

"Not my fault if they don't notice things," she said.

Fred yanked her book away causing her to cry out. "Hey! Give that back!"

The surrounding Gryffindors were beginning to take notice. Ron elbowed Harry, made a face and whispered, "Watch this. She’s done for now."

"You'll get it back — "

" — when you tell us whose helping you."

"No one's helping me! If _you_ bothered to pay attention, you'd have noticed that no one's said more than a half dozen words to me since I got sorted except for you and poor Neville," Hermione huffed, giving the painfully shy boy across from her an apologetic look. "As for _how_ I'm doing it, I'm more than happy to tell you but seeing as how you've now attracted the attention of half the Great Hall I'm not sure you really _want_ me giving everyone the key to telling you apart." 

She sat up straight and gave them a defiant stare.

This gave the twins pause. They were almost certain the girl was bluffing but on the slim chance she was right they couldn't risk it. George finally broke the impasse by elbowing his brother.

"Come on, Forge. Give the firstie her book back. We're going to be late for potions."

Fred hesitated before dropping the book into Hermione's lap. "You're right, Gred. Need to get there in time to make sure Snape's start of term surprise is in place." 

As they stood to leave Fred leaned over and whispered, "We'll finish this conversation later, little miss. _You mark my words_."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was late in the day before the twins were able to track Hermione down, finally spotting her in the corridor leading to the library. They sprinted towards the girl then slowed to a casual stroll as they positioned themselves on either side of her, using their bodies to subtly maneuver her into an abandoned classroom.

When she realized what was happening she clasped her textbooks tight to her chest and spun around to challenge them. “What do you want?”

"Want? We don’t want—” started Fred.

“—anything from you, firstie,” finished George.

“Yeah. We weren't even — "

" — looking for you."

"That’s right. We just happened to be on the way — "

" — to the library ourselves…"

“—and thought we’d say hello.”

She eyed them with great suspicion, keeping a firm grip on her books and her wand. "I haven’t known you very long but I suspect you're probably lying about that as well."

Fred stepped towards her and Hermione took a defensive stance causing both boys to lift their arms slowly in a non threatening gesture.

"Calm down, firstie. Not going to hurt you," said Fred.

"My name is Hermione. Hermione Granger - not _firstie_. I've done you the courtesy of using your proper name, _Fred Weasley_. I'll ask you to do the same if you don't mind."

"Alright _Hermione_ ," Fred gave an elaborate bow. "Now we’ve got that out of the way, my brother and I would be interested — "

" — _most_ interested — " inserted George.

" — to know how someone who has known us a grand total of — "

He looked at George for assistance.

"Twenty four hours, tops," said George.

Fred nodded in agreement. "Known us less than a day has somehow figured out how to tell us apart when people we've known for ages — "

" — since birth! — "

" — can't work it out."

Hermione couldn't help but grin. "Is it always like this?"

"What?" asked Fred.

"Talking with the pair of you. Is it always this sort of tennis match - words bouncing from one to the other?"

"We don't know — "

" — what you're talking about."

"Must be difficult when you're separated.” She looked at Fred. “You'd never get to finish a thought," She turned her attention to George. "And you'd never get to speak at all.”

"What's that — "

" — supposed to mean?"

"It means that's another way to tell you apart. Fred almost always speaks first."

"I do not!" Fred blurted then blushed as George rolled his eyes at the fact that he'd just proven her point.

"Like so," Hermione smiled sweetly.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Fred. "We'd hardly even exchanged names before this morning — "

" — and we didn't speak at all when we first arrived for breakfast. How'd you figure it out then?"

"Really?" Hermione sighed. "It's not magic. You," she said, surprising George by addressing him first, "are a smidge taller and have a slight bump on your nose. The mole on the right side of your neck is a bit darker than Fred’s and your top lip curves up to the right. Your hair is also ever so slightly darker."

"And conversely, you," she turned back to Fred, "are a touch shorter, your nose lacks a bump, your mole is lighter and your top lip is straight. Hair is also lighter, plus you have a small scar above your left eye that is almost completely covered by your eyebrow."

The boys stood dumbfounded.

She blew a bit of hair out of her face. "There's more. Is that enough or should I continue?"

"You worked all that out — "

" — in less than a day?"

"That's what I do," Hermione averted her eyes and scuffed her shoe on the stone floor. "My mum says that while I’m quite observant and ‘book smart’ I sometimes lack people skills. The kids at my other school just said I was a 'swot', so it became easier to just blend in and watch. I was less of a target that way. Unfortunately, from time to time I forget and try to make conversation anyway. It usually doesn't end well."

The twins regarded her with a new found respect. After a moment, Fred ventured, "We need to be careful with this one, Georgie. All these brains — "

" — and yet the hat places her in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. Agreed, Freddie. A dangerous combination — "

" — especially when she has damaging information on us — ."

" — potentially catastrophic information."

Hermione squared her shoulders and adjusted the grip on her wand. "Don't you threaten me."

"Threaten?! Perish the thought!" scoffed Fred.

"Stand down, little lion! You insult us with such accusations!" George added.

Hermione remained cautious but allowed herself to lower her wand a bit.

Fred folded his arms and leaned against one of the desks. “Thank you. Now. What we are offering — ”

“ — is a deal — ”

“ — a bargain, really — ”

“ — that would be advantageous to both our interests.”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed. "What sort of deal?"

“Couldn’t be simpler. _You_ promise—”

“—to keep your ‘formula’ for telling us apart to yourself…”

“—and _we_ promise—”

“—to provide you with any assistance and / or protection you might find yourself in need of during your time at Hogwarts.”

"Why in the world would _I_ need assistance and / or protection?" Hermione asked.

“You’re Muggle born, right?” asked Fred.

“Yes. So?”

The twins stared at her as if the answer was obvious. When she didn’t respond, Fred sighed and gestured for her to have a seat.

“Listen, Granger. You need to understand something. There are certain people, mainly purebloods—”

“—not all purebloods, mind you—” interjected George.

“Exactly. Not all purebloods. Not ones like us.” 

“We’re talking mainly about our dear friends in Slytherin house.”

Hermione could tell from George’s tone and Fred’s posture exactly what they both thought of their ‘dear friends’ in Slytherin house.

“They’ve been brought up with certain—”

“—outdated and offensive—”

“—opinions about Muggle borns, and they can be—”

“—more than a bit cruel to those they consider ‘inferior’.”

“As a matter of fact, we've already heard that little blonde prat Malfoy—”

“—and his toadies throwing around certain terms.”

"What kind of terms?" Hermione asked.

For the first time the boys looked uncomfortable. 

Fred nervously adjusted his tie. "I'm guessing in your world there are words — ”

“ — used to describe those who are — ”

“ — different. Unkind words — ”

“ — that you don't use in polite company?”

"Yes." She studied their faces then pursed her lips. "I take it there are words here for...people like me?"

The twins glanced at each other and nodded sadly.

"What are they?"

The boys shook their heads and spoke in unison. "We don't use those words."

"We might not have the financial advantages of Malfoy and his lot — " Fred explained.

" — but _we_ were raised better." George finished, a look of pride on both their faces.

Hermione took a deep breath, stood tall and lifted her chin. “Well, I appreciate your concern but I’ve been bullied before. I can take care of myself.”

The boys regarded her appreciatively, admiring her nerve. The hat’s decision was beginning to making more sense to them.

“Oh, under normal circumstances, little lion—” started Fred.

“—we wouldn’t doubt that for a moment. However—”

“—you have to remember something. As good as you undoubtedly are—”

“—you’re still working at a disadvantage.”

“What sort of disadvantage?”

Fred began counting on his fingers. “A lifetime spent in the wizarding world, as well as—”

“—the advantage of money—” George continued.

“—which buys twits like Malfoy things like private tutors—”

“—and bribes so ministry officials look the other way when they—”

“—illegally—”

“—practice underage magic.”

“B-but that’s not fair!” exclaimed Hermione.

“We hate to break this to you, Granger—”

“—but if anyone told you that life in this world was _fair_ —”

“—then they’re bigger liars than we could ever hope to be.”

Seeing the utterly dejected look on the girl's face the twins each draped a gangly arm around her tiny shoulders.

“But, fear not!” Fred proclaimed. “We’re certain your cleverness will soon have you—”

“—not only pulling alongside twats like Malfoy —”

“—but quickly leaving his platinum blond arse firmly in the dust — ”

" — where it belongs."

Fred gave a firm nod. “We are simply offering assistance on those—”

“—rare—”

“—occasions where your ambition—”

“—temporarily exceeds your training.”

“In exchange,” smiled Fred. “You keep our secret and—”

“—from time to time—”

“—you assist us — "   
  
" — when we need to create a distraction.”

The boys simultaneously extended their hands. “Deal?”

Hermione scrutinized them warily. “These distractions…” she asked. “Would they involve breaking school rules?”

The boys caught each other’s eye and Hermione could tell they were having one of those unspoken conversations that only people that have been close for many years can engage in. 

They seemed to reach some sort of an agreement for when the turned back to her they reluctantly admitted, “Maybe...?”

Hermione shifted her feet. She’d finally found a place where she might possibly fit in and didn’t want anything to jeopardize that. Sensing her apprehension, Fred stepped up and held his wand flat against his chest as he motioned for George to do the same.

“Listen,” he said. “We will make you a promise. An oath. Right here. Right now. If you ever get caught helping us then we’ll take full blame for everything.”

George nodded in agreement. “Yeah. The staff all know us. Won’t even take that much convincing really. We’ll tell them we coerced you. Held one of your precious books hostage or something. They’ll believe that. No question.” 

Hermione stared, wondering if either noticed that they’d just spoken in complete sentences.

She considered their offer carefully then made her decision. She gave a sharp nod and thrust her hand out.

“All right. We have a deal.”

The trio shook on the agreement and as the boys watched her dart down the corridor towards the library Fred grinned at his brother.

"You know what, Georgie? I have a feeling that this might be the start of something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I had originally envisioned this being the end of a what was (at the time) a one shot, but I kept picturing other moments of Fred, George and Hermione together so the following chapters are snapshots of how certain moments in the lives of these characters might have played out if this had been Hermione's introduction to the Wizarding World.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Late Spring 1992**

“Please, Hermione?! You know better than anyone the stuff we’re learning in Muggle studies is rubbish and Dad’s too busy to teach us anything useful.”

Hermione didn’t have the heart to inform the twins that whatever their father was teaching them about the Muggle world was horribly misguided at the best of times.

She’d almost completed her first year at Hogwarts. It was now two days before summer holidays and the trio were in the abandoned classroom near the library that they’d commandeered as their personal meeting area.

At first people were puzzled by the unlikely alliance of the prankster twins and the precocious bookworm, but before long everyone (including faculty) had to admit that they complemented each other nicely. Hermione’s cool head and steady presence helped keep some of the boys’ rasher impulses in check and the twins’ free spirits kept Hermione’s anxieties and perfectionist tendencies from completely overwhelming her.

Perhaps what sealed the deal more than anything was Hermione's insistence on treating each boy as an individual person rather than interchangeable parts of a whole. She looked deeper than the superficial differences she had initially spotted and found subtle differences in their personalities and interests which she encouraged each to explore, causing Fred and George to feel seen in a way they had never really experienced before.

Now as end of term approached, the twins stood in front of Hermione, hands clasped, begging her to convince her parents to let them visit for a few days during the break to gain first-hand knowledge of Muggle technology so they could start applying it to their pranks.

“I don’t know, guys…I’m not sure if my parents will like the idea of two older boys staying over.”

“Why not?” Fred asked. “Your birthday being in September means we’re only a year and a half older than you—”

“—besides we’re innocent as lambs,” claimed George.

She quirked an eyebrow as Fred jumped in to amend that statement. “Okay, maybe we aren’t exactly innocent as _lambs_ —”

“—but _you_ are and we wouldn’t do anything to endanger that,” George said with an emphatic nod.

Hermione raised both eyebrows at that statement.

“Come on. Admit it—" Fred said.

“—we’ve always taken care of you, right?”

“Yeah! I mean, after Ron acted like a prat on Halloween, who tracked you down and helped you fight off that mountain troll in the bathroom?”

“You did,” Hermione admitted.

"And who snuck you out of the castle every night for a month and gave you private lessons to overcome your fear of heights so you could outscore that git Malfoy on your flying exams?”

“You did."

“And who taught you how to conjure spiders so you could get back at dear baby brother when he refused to stop teasing you?”

“You did.”

“And who showed you the patterns of the staircases and the other short cuts around the castle so you never had to worry about being late for class?”

“You did.”

“And who kept watch so Madam Pince wouldn't notice you testing the wards in the library until you could safely access the restricted section anytime you liked?”

“You did.”

“And remember the night Harry and ickle Ronniekins snuck into the dungeons and almost got expelled? If you hadn’t been with us they might have talked you into helping instead of poor Neville.” 

George shook his head. “Actually it’s a good thing they dragged plant boy along or else they might still be stuck in that patch of Devil’s Snare instead of just getting docked house points.”

"And what have we taught you to say to yourself if anyone - even Snooty Snape - tries to belittle you?" prompted Fred.

She sighed as she rolled her eyes and rattled off the mantra in a flat voice, "That I'm every bit as good as them and if they don't like me being here they can sod off." 

"Oi! C'mon! You can say it better than that," he chided.

"Yea! Let's hear you roar!" urged George.

"It would be much easier to roar if you didn't insist on calling me by that ridiculous nickname," said Hermione.

“What?” Fred glanced around furtively as he leaned over to whisper, ”You mean, ‘Kitten’?”

“Yes,” she sulked.

“Hey,” said Fred, chucking her chin up gently to face them. “Why do you think we call you that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because you think I’m some weak, defenseless creature that can’t fend for itself.”

Both Fred and George sat on the table next to her and stared in disbelief.

“That’s not—” started Fred.

“—why we call you that—"

“— _at all_.”

“Then why?” she asked.

“Ever been attacked by a kitten?” asked Fred.

“They may look like harmless bits of fluff—” said George.

“—but that cuddly exterior hides a courageous heart—”

“—and a set of nerves—”

“—ten times larger than their body.”

“Give you a nasty scratch too, if provoked.”

The pair punctuated that thought by hissing and making clawing motions with their hands, bringing a weak smile to Hermione’s face.

“But that’s not the only reason,” continued Fred.

“Why else?”

“Haven’t you noticed that we don’t call you Kitten—”

“—where other people can hear us?”

“That’s because we’re really the only ones—”

“—that get to see your playful side.”

“My playful side?”

“You know,” Fred leaned towards her, “The side that showed us how to optimize our snowball making efficiency so we could win all the snowball fights this winter.”

“The side that found that wicked Melofors jinx we used to encase Malfoy's head in a pumpkin?" chimed George.

"The side that came up with a way to increase the potency of our enchanted sweets...providing we stop testing them on first years, of course."

"The side that helped us perfect a Multicorfors spell, so we could change outfits in the halls then change back into our school robes in less than a second if anyone on the faculty came near?"

“We don’t share that name with anyone else—” said Fred.

“—because it’s special.”

“Just like you.”

“Just like our friendship.”

“That’s why we were pointing all of that other stuff out.”

“Yeah. Not to make you feel bad. Just to remind you—”

“—that we’ve got your back—”

“—the same way you have ours, _Kitten_.”

Hermione smiled. “Seriously?”

The boys stood and nodded. “Seriously.”

Hermione hesitated then gathered her friends into a group hug. While the boys had never been ones for displays of physical affection, their little friend was very tactile so they were slowly learning to indulge her.

“Thanks, guys," she said. "I’ll check with my folks. I’m sure we can work something out.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Summer 1992**

“Mister Granger? Can you please explain how this contraption works again?” Fred asked as he studied the object in front of him.

Mark Granger once again patiently reviewed the basic mechanics of a vacuum cleaner. He and the boys had quickly discovered a mutual love of tinkering and engineering, leading the twins to spend more time with the Grangers than they’d originally planned.

It had taken a bit of convincing at first but once Mister and Mrs. Granger had actually met Fred, George and their parents, the families arrived at an arrangement that all parties found suitable. The boys could visit as often as they liked but they’d be supervised at first and there would be no overnight visits.

It only took a few days for the Grangers to feel comfortable allowing Hermione to spend time alone with the twins while they were at work, seeing as how the boys spent most of their time marveling over items like the television, the VCR, the microwave and the telephone. 

They'd found the last contraption particularly fascinating. The twins had been utterly gobsmacked to learn that with the push of a few buttons Hermione could be in immediate contact with anyone on the planet as long as the other person possessed a similar device. They spent the better part of a day dialing random numbers to amuse themselves, even managing to ring a very confused housewife in Belarus before Hermione decided to put a stop to that particular activity. 

When her parents returned from their dental practice each day, Hermione and the boys would spend time learning about Mister and Missus Grangers hobbies (the boys had been particularly amazed to see how Hermione's father managed to fit a model ship in a bottle without magic) and helping the family prepare dinner the Muggle way before flooing home to share their latest adventures with Molly and Arthur then staying up late to figure out ways to incorporate what they’d learned into their pranks.

But perhaps what the twins loved most was the attention they received at the Grangers. It was a novelty to have an adult focus on them when they _weren't_ causing trouble so Fred and George went out of their way to behave so they wouldn't lose the privilege of visiting Hermione's family.

It wasn't long before the Grangers were taking the boys along with them on excursions to Blackpool and overnight camping trips to the Cairngorms and the Forest of Dean. It quickly dawned on Fred and George that some of these outings were costing Hermione’s parents money so one day while they were alone in the garage with Mister Granger, they quietly mentioned that they’d be willing to tackle odd jobs around the house to help pay for their share. To their surprise, the man politely but firmly refused.

“I appreciate the offer boys but, honestly, seeing Hermione with other young people who genuinely seem to care about her is more than enough for us.” 

“What do you mean, sir?” asked Fred.

Mark Granger checked to make sure his daughter was still in the house before answering. “Other kids…they don’t always treat Hermione very well.”

“How so?” asked George.

“You know...she often gets bullied. Ignored. Made the butt of cruel jokes.“

The boys shared a glance. Hermione had mentioned being bullied at her other school but had never offered any specifics.

“Was it really that bad?” asked Fred.

“Yes.” Mister Granger sighed. “For instance, when Hermione turned seven she wanted to have a big party and invite all her classmates. She spent weeks picking out the right invitations and decorations. Hand delivered the invites at school then worked for hours the day before her birthday, making special cupcakes that she had designed for each specific person. That was a big deal for her since we don’t normally allow sweets.”

“What happened?”

“What happened was nobody showed up. She sat by the front window for hours but…”

Fred and George looked at him in confusion. “Where were they?”

“They’d never intended to be there. It had been a gag. A prank.” He looked pointedly at the twins. “They’d only pretended to be her friends to see how far she’d go with the party, to laugh at the thought of her waiting for people that were never going to show.”

The boys suddenly felt sick to their stomachs.

“That’s awful,” whispered Fred.

Her father nodded. “Worst part was the next day. She’d managed to convince herself that everyone must have some sort of legitimate excuse for standing her up so she took the cupcakes she’d worked so hard on and placed one on each student’s desk. When she left for the day she saw them all in rubbish bins. Kids had chucked them.” He swallowed hard. “We thought about taking her out of that place and home schooling her but she insisted on going back...but she pretty much kept to herself after that.”

Fred and George had to fight the urge to track down every person involved and transfigure the lot of them into various species of vermin.

“We’d never do that, sir,” insisted Fred.

“Yeah. Hermione’s a great friend,” agreed George.

“Besides we’ve got a younger sister.” 

“I mean, sure, we might tease her—”

“—but we’d never want anyone to treat her like that—”

“—so we’d never do that to Hermione.”

Mister Granger thanked them but before anything further could be said, Hermione appeared with word that dinner was almost ready.

That night back at the Burrow, as the twins prepared for bed, they swore an oath to each other that they would do everything in their power to ensure that no one ever treated Hermione like that ever again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Fall 1992**

“See you at the game today, Granger?” asked Fred.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Have I missed one yet, Weasley?”

“We just wanted to make sure,” smiled Angelina.

“Yeah! You’re our good luck charm,” added Oliver.

Ever since learning about Hermione’s experiences at her old school, Fred and George had become even more protective of their little friend, trying to ensure other students treated her properly and making a big fuss over her birthday. In turn the Gryffindor quidditch team had followed suit by taking the girl under their wing and adopting her as an unofficial mascot of sorts.

While Hermione never fully shared the obsession of the twin's favorite sport, she approached the topic with her usual determination, practically memorizing every quidditch related book in the library. Her encyclopedic knowledge combined with her near photographic memory proved invaluable to the team, as she was able to spot patterns and assess strategies almost as quickly (and with a far more reasonable attitude) than team Captain Oliver Wood.

The group was so fond of the girl that no one had been surprised at the speed and ferocity they'd demonstrated in defending her against the cruel slurs of Draco Malfoy and the Slytherin team. In the end it had taken the intervention of several members of staff to break up the ensuing melee and it was at least two hours before the arrogant blonde seeker had been able to stop throwing up the slugs the twins had cursed him with or recovered from the black eye caused by Fred's elbow 'accidentally' crashing into Malfoy's face.

As the team made its way to prepare for the game against Ravenclaw the twins slowed and held Hermione back for a moment. Making sure no one else was around to hear, Fred whispered, “Hey, Kitten. Can we ask you a favor?”

“Sure. What do you need?”

The twins looked around cautiously. 

“You know our little sister—”

“—Ginny—”

“—don’t you?”

“Yes, of course. I _have_ been to your house before, remember?” Hermione shook her head. “Even if I hadn’t she’d be hard to miss. First year Gryffindor. Red hair. Green eyes. Freckles. Carrying quite an obvious torch for one Harry Potter.”

“That’s her. We were wondering if you might have a word with her,” said Fred.

“What about?” Hermione asked.

“We don’t know—” 

“— that’s the problem.”

“Somethings obviously bothering her but—”

“—she won’t tell us what it is.” 

“So we were hoping—”

“—you’d talk with her — ”

“—on the chance that it’s, you know—”

“—girl stuff.”

Hermione snorted back a laugh. “Girl stuff?”

“You know. Something she might feel more comfortable—”

“—discussing with a female—”

“—instead of her older brothers.”

“I’m surprised either of you remembered I _am_ a girl,” teased Hermione.

“Of course you are! If not, you’d never make it up the steps to your room.” Fred grinned as he held out his arms and mimicked sliding down the transfigured staircase that guarded the girls’ dorm.

“You’re a mess, the pair of you,” giggled Hermione, giving him a good natured smack on the arm. “Fine. I’ll try and talk with her.”

“Thanks, Granger,” Fred said before the twins tousled her hair and ran off to join their teammates. “You’re the best!”

**Spring 1993**

Months later the boys would replay that moment over and over in their minds as they sat in the hushed, dimly lit corner of the Hogwart’s hospital wing and held vigil at Hermione's bedside. 

The trouble started not long after that conversation had occurred. Strange messages scrawled upon the walls. Old Filch's cat petrified by an unknown force. Potter claiming to hear odd noises. 

Fred and George were kicking themselves over all of it now, wishing they had taken the whole thing more seriously, especially after Hermione had gotten so deeply involved.

It hadn't taken long for their friend to be gripped with a near fanatical need to figure out who or what seemed to be threatening Muggle born students like herself. She became suspicious upon learning of a journal Ginny had been obsessively writing in, even more so when she heard what great pains the young girl was taking to ensure that no one else lay eyes on the object.

Hermione tried to sound the alarm to the twins, saying that a mere crush on Harry Potter wasn't enough to account for Ginny's haggard appearance and changed demeanor but the Oliver Wood's demanding quidditch schedule and all the commotion over Potter possibly being the 'heir of slytherin' had meant the boys simply weren't paying as much attention as they normally would to their friend's warnings. They'd chalked it up to her incessant need to find things to research, a decision they now bitterly regretted.

Hermione had told them that she planned on 'borrowing' Ginny's journal to look for clues as to what was really bothering the youngest Weasley but before she was able to, tragedy struck. Apparently the answer to what was happening at the school occurred to her in the middle of the night and rather than waking Fred and George (as they had asked her to do) Hermione decided to test the theory on her own, with disastrous results.

The boys knew something was horribly wrong when both Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared at their room early one morning to relay the news that Hermione had been found petrified in the hallway leading to the library, a small mirror clutched in her right hand.

It was Fred who discovered the piece of paper in her other hand which lead the boys to the realization that they were dealing with a basilisk. 

It took a lot of debate between them but desperate to find a way to help their friend, the twins ultimately took that information to Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey. Upon learning that Hogwarts mandrake crop would take almost six weeks to reach the appropriate maturity for brewing the potion necessary to revive Hermione and the other victims, Fred and George sprung into action, calling in every favor they could to source ripened mandrake roots in a more timely manner.

While they waited for the plants to arrive, the Gryffindor quidditch team sat with Hermione. They weren't sure if she was aware of what was going on around her or not but none of them wanted her to feel alone either way. After a while the group size got out of hand and Madame Pomfrey put her foot down, declaring that each patient could only have one visitor at a time and only during specific hours.

Katie and Oliver took the initiative of drawing up a rotation and Fred insisted upon taking the last shift each evening. He would sit with his back against the wall by Hermione's headboard, his long legs stretched out in front of him, a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ on his lap, which he would read aloud to her softly so as to not to get kicked out and possibly barred from the wing. 

During his first solo visit he briefly clasped Hermione's frozen hand, hoping that the warmth of his body would magically transfer into hers but he couldn't bear the cold, lifeless feeling of her paralyzed fingers against his. It reminded him too much of the time he and George found the body of cat curled up at the base of a tree near the Burrow. They thought the animal was merely sleeping but when they'd gone to pet it they were horrified to realize it was dead and had already entered an advanced state of rigor mortis. The pair had been traumatized for days afterwards from the shock.

He couldn't allow himself to think of Hermione like that so instead he'd occasionally stroke her hair, the only part of her that still felt warm and alive. He would make sure he wasn't being observed, then carefully adjust her long tresses, smiling sadly when a curl would wind itself around one of his fingers.

Thankfully in just two weeks the boys' hard work paid off. They received an ample supply of mandrakes from their contacts and soon the restorative potion was brewed and ready to test on the basilisk's victims. 

At first Professor McGonagall insisted Fred and George wait outside the ward as the antidote was administered to Hermione, warning them it could be some time before the potion took effect. The boys stood firm, however, saying they weren't leaving until they knew their friend was going to be okay. Touched by their devotion the normally strict Scottish professor relented and allowed them to sit by Hermione's side while they waited, even stepping away to give the trio some privacy.

As the seconds ticked past Fred leaned over and whispered, "Come on, Kitten. If you don't wake up soon the school will be forced to notify your folks and they might blame us for not watching out for you properly."

"Yeah, " George added. "And may I remind you that your dad's a big bloke — not to mention the fact that both of your parents have access to some rather terrifying bits of medical kit. You don't want us dissected, do you?"

As they were speaking the girl's skin slowly began turning from its recent grayish blue cast to a more normal shade of pink. Suddenly her breathing hitched, her fingers twitched and she shot straight up and gasped, "Basilisk!"

The boys reacted immediately. Fred jumped onto the bed and caught her as she fell back while George grabbed her hands as they waved wildly about, as if she were trying to fend off an unseen attacker.

"Shh...." Fred whispered in her ear. "You're safe, okay? You're in the hospital ward and we know all about the basilisk."

Hermione struggled to bring her breathing under control. "H-how?"

George squeezed her hands tightly. "You told us."

"W-what? H-how did I do that?"

Fred rocked her gently, rubbing her arms in an effort to calm her. "We found that piece of paper you were holding. Between that and the mirror, didn't take us too long to piece it together."

Hermione's eyes darted around. "D-did they get it? W-was anyone else hurt? Is Ginny okay?"

"Ginny's fine now and that slimy beast won't hurt anyone ever again," Fred assured her.

"What do you mean she's fine 'now'? What happened?"

Fred angled her so she could see both of their faces. "First off, you were right. About Ginny, the journal, You-Know-Who. Everything. We're sorry we didn't take you more seriously."

Hermione shook her head as she leaned against Fred's chest. "It's okay. Took me a while to put it all together."

"Still, we should have paid more attention to what you were trying to tell us," George insisted. "Then maybe everything else could have been avoided."

"Everything else?" What do you mean?"

Fred's shoulders slumped. "The journal...it was more than just a book. It was controlled by You-Know-Who. Not long after you got frozen then he...it...whatever word you want to use, possessed Ginny and forced her down into the Chamber."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Was she hurt?"

"A little banged up and scared out of her wits but she's fine," assured George.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story. We'll fill you in on the details later but suffice it to say everyone's okay now," said Fred.

"Good. Just...please tell me the pair of you didn't try anything foolish like going after the creature yourselves," she said weakly.

The boys traded guilty expressions, causing Hermione's eyes to snap open.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"Nothing!" said Fred.

"Not really..." said George.

"Guys..." she growled.

"Honest!" said Fred. "We may have _considered_ a new invention —"

"— Based on those cool mirrored sunglasses we tried on in that Muggle shop in Brighton —"

"— Thinking if the creature saw its own reflection it might paralyze _itself_ —"

"—But then we remembered you'd used a mirror and it didn't work out so well for you, so we tabled that idea."

Hermione breathed a visible sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin you didn't try and test that theory."

"Yes, well, contrary to popular belief we _do_ actually listen to reason from time to time," said Fred. "Anyway, after we abandoned the glasses concept we decided to focus instead on what really mattered."

"Which was?"

The boys looked at her as if the answer was obvious. 

"Waking you, of course," Fred replied.

"We got tired of waiting on old Sprout and her bloody slow mandrake crop and took matters into our own hands," said George.

"It took a while but we managed to source the necessary ingredients on our own in less than half the time it was going to take her," Fred proclaimed.

Hermione's expression turned to one of utter confusion. "Wait. How...How long have I been here?"

There was a moment of silence before Fred gently informed her, "Kitten...you've been in here for almost three weeks."

"Three weeks?!"

Fred and George nodded solemnly. 

A tear came to Hermione's eye. "And you guys stayed with me all that time?"

"Of course we did!" exclaimed Fred. "And not just us. Most of the team sat with you as well. We all tried to stay at first —"

"— But Madame Pomfrey's rather strict with her visitation policies. Still, it was difficult to get everyone to play by the rules." 

Fred folded his arms and tried to look stern. "And speaking of rules, young lady. We _ought_ to be very cross with _you_."

“Yeah, making rash decisions and getting injured in the process is _our_ thing,” George said. 

“ _You_ rs is making sure we don't go too far by reminding us of how our pranks might affect people — including ourselves because—” 

“— Any change to that is messing with the natural order of things.” 

Hermione sniffed and opened her arms for a group hug. "Sorry, guys. I'll try and remember that in the future."

The boys gathered her into a warm embrace as Fred whispered, “Just don’t ever scare us like that again, Kitten. Deal?”

Hermione snuggled close to her friends and nodded. “Deal.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Winter 1993**

“I’m telling you — she’s not showing on the damn map!”

“Well, check it again! She can't have left school grounds...can she?”

Fred and George were growing increasingly frantic. It had been over three hours since a row had erupted over the fact that Hermione, fearing foul play, had reported Harry’s receipt of a top of the line Firebolt racing broom from a person or persons unknown to Professor McGonagall which had resulted in its temporary confiscation. 

A torrent of cross words had been exchanged between Hermione and twins over her course of action. Once they’d cooled off the boys had gone to apologize but were unable to find her — not even with their usually infallible map.

They had just searched the library for the third time and were beginning to seriously panic. At a loss on what to do next they decided to utilize their network of paintings and house elves, eventually getting word that Hermione had been sighted down by the lake.

The boys sprinted in that direction and were surprised to spot their friend standing on the shore alongside Neville Longbottom. The pair were facing the water, Hermione's head resting on Neville's chest, the boy's arms wrapped around her.

Before the twins could say anything, Neville heard them approach and swung around, wand drawn. His hand shook but he took a deep breath and shouted, "Hold it right there! If you've come to yell at her some more or...or...make her cry again then you can...you can...get stuffed!"

Fred and George stopped dead in their tracks. They weren't sure which shocked them more — Neville's uncharacteristic bravado or the information that Hermione had been crying.

The girl took a moment to compose herself before turning to face them. The twins' stomachs twisted when they saw her — hair tousled, face splotchy, eyes red and puffy. It had been bad enough to see her cry when the likes of Malfoy hurt her feelings. The very idea that _they'd_ been the ones to upset her like this made them feel horrible.

"It's okay, Neville. I can handle this," said Hermione.

Neville hesitated but held his ground. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. You can go back to the tower. I'll be along shortly." She took his free hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you. You've been a good friend."

Her eyes briefly flicked to the twins at that last statement, causing the boys to flinch.

Neville held onto her a moment longer before slowly lowering his wand and stepping away. "Okay, but if you need anything — anything at all —you just shout, alright?"

"I will," Hermione nodded as the boy walked away, glaring at the twins as he passed.

There was an awkward silence before Fred cleared his throat and said, "We've...uh... been looking for you all over. Couldn't find you on the map."

Hermione sniffed as she brushed a bit of hair away from her face. "I've been working on a modified concealment charm. Seemed like a good time to try it out."

"Really?" said Fred, momentarily distracted by his inherent curiosity. "Must be a wicked good one to fool the map! Will you teach it to us?"

"Why should I? You made it pretty clear that you never wanted to speak to me again - either of you." Her eyes flashed. "And just so you know — I'm every bit as good as you and if you don't like me being here you can sod off!"

The boys hung their heads upon hearing their own words hurled back at them.

"That's not entirely true, you know," whispered Fred.

"Oh, really?" snapped Hermione.

Fred shifted his feet. "Really. You're not _as_ good as us...you're better."

"By a long shot," added George.

“And about all that rubbish we said earlier—”

“—we’re really sorry.”

“We got so caught up in the excitement of a new broom—”

“—that we weren’t thinking clearly.”

“You were right to report it to McGonagall.”

“A Firebolt is wicked but—”

“—it’s not worth risking a teammate’s life over—”

“—especially not Harry’s.”

“Poor git has enough problems as it is — ”

“—without his own broom trying to kill him.”

Hermione folded her arms and bit her lip. “So...you...you don't hate me?"

The twins' jaws dropped.

“No one _hates_ you,” assured Fred.

“Oliver, Ron and Harry do,” she countered.

“Not true,” insisted Fred. “Once we got him to stop hyperventilating, Ollie realized the potential threat to Harry and agreed with what you'd done...in theory.”

“And Ron and Harry will come around — "

" — eventually — ” 

“ — we’ll make sure of it.”

Hermione looked doubtful. “What about Katie, Angelina and Alicia?”

“They know you were only trying to protect Harry—”

“—and by extension all of us.” 

“They respect that.”

Hermione twisted her hair nervously with her finger. “So you guys aren’t going to…abandon me?”

The boys rocked back on their heels. 

“ _Abandon_ you?” repeated an incredulous Fred. “What kind of crazy talk is _that_?”

“After everything you said I figured that you'd forget the deal and….” Hermione's voiced trailed off as she looked back across the lake.

The twins looked genuinely wounded. Fred stepped forward and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “First off, Kitten, deal or no deal, you're our friend — ” 

“ — period — ” 

“ — full stop — ”

“ — no matter what.”

The pair paused to let that sink in for a moment before Fred continued.

“Second, we know that you’ve had pretty rubbish ‘friends’ in the past—”

“—but that’s not how it works.” 

Hermione shrugged Fred's hand off her shoulder. "Really? Then how _does_ it work?"

Fred sighed. “Sure, friends might argue or disagree. They may even say really stupid things from time to time—”

“—but in the end _real_ friends stick around—”

“—and work it out. And that’s us, Kitten—.” 

“—Like it or not—”

“—you’re stuck with us—”

“—forever.”

There was a long pause and then Hermione quietly asked, “Honestly?”

The twins nodded and spoke in unison. “Honestly.”

Fred took an uncertain step forward and extended his hand. “So...what do you say? Do we still have a deal?”

There was another silence. 

“I want to believe you,” she said tentatively, “I really do, but... ”

Fred pulled her into a hug as George wrapped his arms around the pair of them. 

“But we were a couple of prats who said things that hurt you," Fred finished her sentence for her. "We know and we’re both truly sorry about that—”

“—and we promise to do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

“Yeah. Your choice. What will it be?” asked Fred, leaning back to study her face. “Unbreakable Vow?”

“Blood oath?” offered George. 

Fred waggled his eyebrows. “Treacle tarts?”

Hermione couldn’t help but giggle. “Treacle tarts sound nice.”

“Treacle tarts it is, then,” announced Fred.

Just as the trio turned to start back towards the castle the tower clock chimed the quarter hour. 

“Oh, darn," said Hermione. "That means the kitchen's closed for the evening.”

The twins rolled their eyes as they each looped an arm through hers. 

“Oh, Kitten,” sighed Fred. “When has that ever stopped us?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Summer 1994**

"Bloody hell, Ginny! Watch where you're going! That's the fourth time you've bumped into me!" groused Ron.

Ginny blushed as everyone turned and looked at her. 

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Hermione caught the eye of her young friend and winked in acknowledgement of the sight that was causing the girl's distraction - a rear view of the well built form of Cedric Diggory striding across the fields of Dartmoor as the group made its way to the Quidditch World Cup.

As Hermione and Ginny shared a giggle, the twins sidled alongside the pair. Fred rolled his eyes and gave Hermione a nudge in the ribs as he waved a piece of parchment in front of her face.

"Pardon us, Granger, but if you could tear yourself away from staring at Diggory's arse long enough to concentrate and let us know if we've got our maths right?"

Hermione kept her eyes trained on Cedric's bum while simultaneously taking the paper from Fred. 

"I can do both at the same time. I'm quite the efficient multitasker, you know."

"Oi!" protested Fred. "Steady on. What makes his arse so special anyway?" 

"Yeah," chimed in George. "Can't be that different from ours."

Hermione scrunched her face in thought. "Don't know. Never thought to compare them before." She craned her neck so she could check out the boys' backsides. After a moment she shrugged.

"Not bad, I suppose," was her only comment as she walked past the twins.

"Not bad?!" roared Fred and George in unison.

Hermione laughed out loud at the shocked looks on the boys' faces then pointed at parchment of sums. "And you're right. 962 is the correct total."  
  
A split second later she came to a grinding halt and spun around, her expression turning cross. "Hold on! That would be the projected winnings if you bet _all_ the money. Have you forgotten what you promised me?"

The boys nodded grudgingly as Fred retrieved the parchment and jammed it in his pocket. "No, but we still maintain that you're being silly."

"Yeah," said George. "Why can't we bet it all with Ludo? With the current odds, if we win we'll have almost enough to open the shop."

"Because I don't trust him, that's why," insisted Hermione. "I can't put my finger on the specific reason yet but something deep in my gut says that he's not on the up and up. The pair of you worked too hard for that money to risk it all with the likes of Bagman. If you bet half and he swindles you then at least you won't be back to square one."

"But if he _is_ legit and we only bet half then we're missing out on almost 500 galleons!" complained Fred.

"But if he _is_ a conman you could lose _everything_! I don't care how good you are at maths, everyone knows that fifty percent of _something_ is more than one hundred percent of _nothing_!" Hermione crossed her arms and tossed her hair defiantly.

The boys couldn't help but chuckle, glad to see that their friend was finally beginning to look and act like her old self again.

The previous school year had been a nightmare for them as Hermione became increasingly exhausted, haggard and withdrawn from everyone. It wasn't until the day Fred and George were consulting their map and happened to spot her in two different places at the same time that they began to realize what the problem might be. They confronted her that night and forced her to admit she'd been using an illegal time turner to attend almost twice the number of allowed classes.

The boys had been outraged to learn that not only had members of staff condoned this potentially damaging practice but Dumbledore had also pledged Hermione to secrecy about it, leaving her to carry the guilt of not being able to share with Fred and George the cause of the steep decline in her physical and emotional health.

Thankfully she'd only given her word and not taken an Unbreakable Vow so she suffered no long term effects from sharing the truth about her situation. The twins ultimately agreed to keep their mouths shut on two conditions — that she drop at least two of the classes and that she promised to start getting a decent amount of sleep and stop skipping meals in order to study. 

Fred and George kept a close eye on her for the remainder of the term to make certain she followed through on her pledge then insisted she spend more time at the Burrow over the summer holiday so they could ensure she was eating properly and not pushing herself too hard with the extracurricular studies that Dumbledore kept 'suggesting' to her — another practice that was beginning to aggravate the twins.

They weren't sure what the Headmaster's end game was but in their opinion it certainly seemed manipulative — another example of people taking advantage of Hermione's fear of expulsion and continual need to prove that she belonged in the magical world.

That was one of the reasons they'd insisted she accompany them to the tournament. They wanted her to feel included in this historic event in the Wizarding World even though it meant swearing they would exercise caution in regards to their plan to wager on the outcome of the final game — their latest bid to raise the cash needed to fund their lifelong dream of opening a joke shop in Diagon Alley.

While Hermione supported that endeavor wholeheartedly, she'd been wary of trusting Ludo Bagman from the very beginning. She repeatedly voiced her concern that something "just wasn't right" about the shady looking Ministry official but had been at a loss to explain her doubts as anything more than intuition.

When the group arrived at the enormous newly built stadium, Hermione followed the twins through a crowd of thousands in order to track down Bagman and make their wager. She stood to one side and held her tongue, contenting herself with arching an eyebrow at Fred as he counted out the money. He laid out eighteen galleons and pulled a face at Hermione as Bagman double counted the coins before giving the boys' their betting slip.

The trio then rejoined the others in the stands to enjoy the most thrilling game anyone had seen in ages. It was a hard fought battle but Ireland ultimately emerged victorious, while Bulgaria's Viktor Krum saved his team from humiliation by catching the snitch, thus bringing the score to a respectable 170 to 160.

The Weasley family and their guests celebrated enthusiastically but Fred and George were noticeably more subdued than usual, already calculating what their winnings might have been if they'd wagered all their money, leaving Hermione to shake her head and mutter, "You haven't won _anything_ yet."

It took almost an hour but the three eventually hunted down Bagman, who was struggling under the weight of a large duffel bag as he tried to slip through the rioting crowds towards the nearest port key.

"Oi! Ludo! Wait up!" shouted Fred as he pushed through the mass of drunken spectators to grab the man's elbow.

"Yeah!" panted George. "If we didn't know better we'd think you were trying to nick off with our winnings."

The stocky bookmaker immediately turned on his oily charm. "What? Perish the thought! Nothing could be further from the truth, lads! I was simply concerned about my pocket being picked in this unruly mob. Thought I'd get somewhere safe then deliver your money at a later date."

"That's mighty thoughtful of you, Ludo — " smiled Fred.

" — But seeing as we're here now, we'll lighten your load and save you the trouble of a future trip," added George, as he tugged Bagman into an empty space under the stands.

"Oh, it would be no trouble at all, lads! I'm sure you don't want to be carrying around sums like this today. It'd put a crimp in your celebrations! Go off and enjoy some fire whiskey! I'm sure the Ministry won't be checking ID's on such a momentous occasion." said Ludo, with a wink and a nudge.

The twins were beginning to feel uneasy. They'd conned enough people to recognize double talk when they heard it. Fred shot Hermione a quick glance and received a look that conveyed 'I told you so' loud and clear in return.

"Save the concern, Ludo. Just give us what's rightfully ours and we'll go on our merry way." Fred tightened his grip the man's sleeve. "Unless there's a problem we don't know about?"  
  
"No! No problem!" Bagman insisted. He hesitated a moment before shrugging the bag off his shoulder. "Fine. If you want to take the chance of being burgled in this assemblage of unsavory characters then far be it from me to dissuade you."

He dug around in his pack before finally producing a worn leather pouch. He weighed it in his palm then shoved it in Fred's direction. 

"Here. Four hundred and fifty galleons."

"Four sixty eight."

The men all turned at the sound of Hermione's voice.

"What?" snapped Bagman.

"Four hundred and _sixty eight_ galleons." Hermione made sure to pronounce each word very distinctly. "Fred and George wagered eighteen galleons at twenty-five to one odds. Their _winnings_ are four hundred and fifty but they also receive their initial outlay back — hence they are owed a grand total of four hundred and sixty eight galleons."

Bagman's beady eyes narrowed slightly. "Right. Sorry. The excitement of the game and my joy at your good fortune must have momentarily addled my maths. Good thing the little lady is here to keep it all straight."

Ludo fished Fred and George's original eighteen galleons from his waistcoat and handed it over. "There. Even stevens."

"May I see two of the galleons from the pouch, please?" Hermione inquired with a forced sweetness.

Bagman's lip twitched ever so slightly as Fred withdrew two of the gold coins in question and handed them to Hermione.

"See? All good," announced Bagman, shouldering his pack as he started to walk away.

"Not so fast," said Hermione, squinting to take a close look at the money. "I'd like to check something first — "

She reached into her hand bag and produced a small hanging scale and two gold coins of her own. With a flick of her wand the scale levitated in front of her and balanced itself perfectly. She placed the gold coins from Ludo on one side.

"The ones from Mr. Bagman," she stated.

She held up the other two coins. "Two supposedly identical coins from Harry. Withdrawn from his secure vault at Gringotts yesterday morning."

She laid the coins from Harry gently on the other side of the scale. The scales instantly tipped lower to one side, indicating that Harry's coins were significantly heavier that the ones provided by Bagman. Another wave of her wand and the coins in question began to glow with a weak green cast.

"As I suspected. This isn't real gold. It's leprechaun gold."

"Huh? What's that?" asked Fred.

"Leprechaun gold. Otherwise known as 'fool's gold'," Hermione explained. "A substance that looks authentic enough to deceive a person for a few hours before it disappears as if it never existed."

The boys turned to face the chagrined bookmaker. "This true, Bagman?" challenged Fred.

"Oh, come on, lads," chided Ludo. "Who are you going to believe? Me or a m—"

Anticipating a slur on Hermione, Fred and George immediately brandished their wands. Seeing the fury on the boys' faces, the man quickly attempted to save himself by spitting out, "M-m-misguided young girl."

"That 'misguided young girl' is ten times smarter than the three of us put together, Bagman," snarled Fred.

Ludo swallowed hard. "Th-then I'm a victim as well. I accepted those coins in good faith, having been assured they were legal tender."

"Very well," said Hermione. "Then you won't mind if we hold onto them, in case _I'm_ mistaken. If I'm wrong then there's no harm done. But if I'm right..."

She stepped forward and repeated herself for emphasis. "If I'm _right_ and this has disappeared by morning then I might just have to tell the goblins that were looking for you prior to the game what you've been up to. Are we clear?"

Bagman glared at her before giving a sharp nod. "Crystal, my dear. I always want my customers to be satisfied. As a matter of fact I'm heading off right now to track down the scurrilous villains that took advantage of my trusting nature. I'll have everything sorted in two shakes of a hippogriff's tail feathers. Just you wait and see."

"Don't have much of a choice, do we?" said Fred. He held onto the man's jacket another moment before roughly releasing him. 

"No worries, lads! I'll make this right. You have my word as a gentleman!" 

Bagman shouted those last words over his shoulder as he scurried away as quickly as he was able. Two seconds later he was gone, completely swallowed up in the massive crowd of bystanders still teeming around the stadium grounds.

"So, Georgie," sighed Fred. "What do you think the odds are of us seeing that little rat or our winnings ever again?"

"A damn sight worse than twenty five to one, I'm afraid," replied George, shaking his head. "Looks like it's back to the drawing board as far as funding for the store."

"I'm sorry, guys," said Hermione. "Don't give up hope just yet. I mean, I could be wrong and these could be actual gold coins."

Both Fred and George snorted. "You? Wrong?" laughed Fred.

"Please, Kitten. We may have made some pretty stupid bets in our time but wagering that you don't have your facts straight? Give us some credit," said George.

"How'd you know about this leprechaun stuff, anyway?" asked Fred.

"Just before Saint Patrick's day during my first year Seamus kept talking about missing Ireland. I knew the Muggle legends about leprechauns so I asked him what they were really like. Their use of fool's gold was one of the stories he told me. I looked it up later and learned a few tricks on how to distinguish it from the real thing."

Fred wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "And of course, once a piece of information gets inside that brilliant brain of yours it never leaves!"

She blushed at the compliment. "Well, I don't know about that. It just seemed like that kind of thing that might come in useful one day so I suppose it stayed with me."

"Good thing it did. Thanks to you, at least we didn't lose all our savings," said George. "Although I have to say I was a little uncomfortable with you threatening Bagman about the goblins. Felt almost like...I dunno. Blackmail or something."

Hermione lifted her chin and gave George a serious look. "It wasn't a threat, Georgie. It was a _promise_. Nobody takes advantage of my friends. _Nobody_."

The twins were taken aback by both the tone of her voice and the fierce expression on her face.

"Well, that's good to know. The same goes for you too, Kitten," stated Fred, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Although I must say, it's at times like this I'm reminded how glad we are that you're on _our_ side."

"I'll second that thought," said George, draping his arm around her as well. "C'mon. Let's go back to the tent and celebrate with the others."

"Excellent plan, brother o' mine," nodded Fred. "At least we can take comfort in knowing that nothing else can go wrong tonight."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

**Same Night - Summer 1994**

The party was in full swing by the time Fred, George and Hermione returned to the Weasley tent. 

Bill and Charlie were taking turns giving Ginny piggy back rides around the room to chase after a souvenir snitch, while Ron and Harry re-enacted their favorite moments from the game by leaping on and off the dining table, much to the irritation of Percy who was trying to grab a bite to eat. Even Arthur and Molly were joining in the fun, dancing enthusiastically to the strains of Celestina Warbecks' "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love."

The merriment continued late into the evening when the group heard a series of explosions in the distance and saw bright lights shining through the tent flaps.

"Fireworks! Come on, Harry! Let's go check 'em out!" shouted Ron as both boys darted outside to have a look.

The rest of the family were just about to join them when another blast went off, much closer this time, which caused the ground to shake violently. This was immediately followed by a woman's scream, then another and yet another, causing Arthur Weasley's expression to turn from one of levity to one of concern.

"Everyone stay put," he said firmly. "I'm going to see what's going on out there."

The older man peeked outside as a growing chorus of shrieks and wails began sweeping towards them. Arthur jumped back inside and summoned his wand.

"Percy! Stay here with your mother! Bill! Charlie! Come with me! We've got to find Ron and Harry!" He spun around and addressed the twins. "Fred! George! Take Ginny and Hermione! Find cover in the forest and don't come back until I contact you!"

"Arthur! What is it?! What's happening?!" Molly cried.

Arthur turned to his wife, his face pale. "Death Eaters, Mol. It's a whole army of bloody Death Eaters. They're tearing the whole damn place apart."

The group remained frozen until he shouted, "Don't just stand there! _GO_!!"

Their father's words kick-started everyone into action. Bill and Charlie raced out behind Arthur. George grabbed his sister as Fred took hold of Hermione and the four bolted out the back entrance, leaving Percy and Molly to cast as many protective wards around the tent as possible in case Ron and Harry made their way back before the party that was searching for them.

The twins tried as best they could to keep everyone together as they pushed through a sea of panicked fans while at the same time ducking the barrage of fire balls and explosions which seemed to come from all directions. 

They were almost to the edge of the woods when Ginny slipped and fell in the mud. George, who was nearest her, stopped to help as he yelled at Fred and Hermione. "GO! I've got her!"

Fred wavered for a half a second then nodded, taking Hermione's hand and dragging her along with him. They'd just made it into the forest when a nearby tree exploded. They jumped and only barely managed to avoid being crushed by the huge branch that plummeted to the ground scant inches behind them.

The pair scrambled to their feet, Fred clutching her arm in a death grip. 

"Run!" he screamed.

They raced through the undergrowth, ignoring the branches and briars that tore at their clothes and hair. They pushed themselves until Hermione thought her heart and lungs were going to burst out of her chest. She was on the verge of collapse when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

It was an abandoned two person bird-watching blind, similar to one her father had pointed out to them during a camping trip in the Forest of Dean. This one was derelict, with fallen branches, vines and brambles almost completely obscuring it from view.

Hermione skidded to a halt and motioned to Fred, who quickly picked up on what she was trying to communicate to him. They darted inside and began casting every glamour and concealment charm they knew until they felt reasonably certain that they could stop and breath for a moment.

"You okay?" Fred panted.

"I'm good. You?" Hermione gasped.

Fred nodded as he strained his eyes, trying to spy whatever he could through the almost completely obscured openings of the blind.

Hermione inhaled sharply. "Right. We'll take a minute to rest then get out there and find George and Ginny."

Before Fred could reply, the air around them was pierced by a terrible howling sound followed by a series of tremors from the direction they'd just come. He dropped to the ground, pulling her with him while at the same time gesturing at her to remain silent.

They stayed like that until the noises gradually began to recede. After a while Hermione whispered, "Should we go back out there now?"

"No! We're going to wait for Dad to contact us. He said to get you somewhere safe and stay there and that's what I'm damn well going to do!" Fred hissed.

"But Georgie — "

"George is perfectly capable of finding a spot to hunker down with Ginny!" Fred insisted, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Then maybe you and I should go back to the tent. Help the others," urged Hermione. "I'm a pretty competent dualist, you know."

"Pretty competent?! What the hell is 'pretty competent' going to do against a battalion of bloody Death Eaters?!" snarled Fred. "Listen. I don't know what you _think_ you learned about defending against the Dark Arts from old Gladrags Gilderoy last term but I can tell you that whatever it was will be utterly bloody _useless_ against the kind of monsters that are rampaging around out there!" 

"But — "

"But nothing! Damn it, Hermione! For once in your life you need to accept the fact that _experience_ beats whatever theory you've read about in a book!" He ran his hand angrily through his hair. "And believe me when I tell you my family has the experience."

For the first time Hermione realize just how scared he was, which somehow frightened her more than anything else. She saw the haunted look in his eyes and recalled a portrait hanging in the Burrow.

"Your uncles," she said quietly. "You're talking about your uncles."

Fred's jaw tensed. "Yes."

"They were twins as well."

He nodded. "Gideon and Fabian."

"I remember Molly saying they died in the war. Were they..."

"Tortured and killed by Death Eaters. Yeah." 

Hermione reached for his hand. "I'm so sorry, Fred."

There was a long stretch of silence then Fred asked, "Can I tell you something, Kitten? Something that no one else — not even Georgie — knows?"

"Of course."

He fidgeted uncomfortably. "Okay. Here's the thing. During our first term at school, George and I came down with dragon pox at the same time. I recovered faster than he did so they kept him in the infirmary and sent me back to the tower." 

He shook his head at the memory. "It was the first time in our lives that we'd been separated for more than a couple of hours and I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with myself for two days."

"I can imagine. What _did_ you do?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

"I promise," she said, placing her hand on her heart.

Fred averted his eyes. "I went to the library."

Hermione bit her lip in an attempt to not chuckle and immediately apologized. "Sorry."

"It's okay. The irony is not lost on me," he said. "Anyway, I ended up stumbling upon a book containing an account of the War and out of curiosity I looked up my uncles." He was unable to repress the shiver that went up his spine. "Merlin. What a mistake that was..."

"Why? What did you find out?"

"I found an incredibly detailed, first-hand account of how they died. All the gory details, spelled out in black and white. It was horrific what those bastards did to them, just because — "

He cut himself short, hoping she wouldn't ask him to finish the sentence. He wasn't that lucky.

"Just because what, Fred?"

The ensuing silence hinted at the answer. She leaned forward. "It has something to do with Muggles, doesn't it? They died because of their pro-Muggle views?"

"Not exactly," he admitted. "They...they were flying home one night and spotted a group of Death Eaters attacking a family of Muggle borns. Husband. Wife. Eleven year old son. Even though they were outnumbered they couldn't let that happen without doing something so they swooped in... "

He swallowed hard. "The...the boy was the only one to survive. One of my uncles was able to hide him under a nearby bridge and cast a protective charm around him. He was the one that provided the eyewitness account. Poor kid. Never recovered from what he saw. Ended up drinking himself to death a few years after the war ended."

"Oh, Fred. That's horrible. And you never told anyone? Not even George?"

Fred shook his head. "No one else ever needs to have those images in their head. I transfigured the cover of the book into an obscure text on fungus by Phyllida Spore then reshelved it in a forgotten corner of the library so no one else in my family would accidentally stumble across it."

There was another silence before Hermione spoke.

"I'm sorry that you've been carrying that on your own, Fred. I'm honored that you felt you could share that with me." She gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze. "And I'm sure George, Ginny and everyone else are fine."

"I hope so. I —"

He was cut off by a blinding white light bursting through the thicket of brambles surrounding them. It turned into silvery fog that swirled around before solidifying into the form of a weasel. 

Out of instinct Hermione raised her wand but Fred grabbed her wrist and stopped her with a shake of his head.

The creature spun about then sat up on its haunches and began speaking in the voice of Arthur Weasley.

"Fred! Hermione! Thank Merlin! Are you okay?"

"We're fine, Dad but we got separated from George and Ginny and — "

"They're fine. I've already spoken with them. Worried about the pair of you but otherwise just fine," assured Arthur. "Are you somewhere safe?"

"Think so. We're in — "

"Don't tell me!" interrupted the weasel. "Things are beginning to settle down here but just in case... Well, let's just say the fewer specifics I have the better, understood?"

Fred nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Now, if you are confident in the security of your position then I want you to _stay there_ until morning then make your way back to our tent. Once we're all in one place we'll portkey back to the Burrow together, got it?"

"Got it. And Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"You're _sure_ everyone's okay?"

The weasel twitched it's whiskers into what looked like a smile. "I'm sure, Fred. We're all safe as houses. You did an excellent job. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad. I...we'll see you in the morning."

"See you then, son. Take care and try to get some rest, both of you."

In a flash the creature was gone leaving Hermione and Fred blinking as their vision readjusted to the dimness of the bird blind.

Once Hermione regained her composure she looked at Fred, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"That was a patronus, wasn't it?! That's a incredibly difficult and complicated spell! Can anyone else in your family cast one? How old were they when they learned? Are they all weasels or are they — "

Fred couldn't help but laugh. "Merlin's beard, woman! Only you would ask for a tutorial on charms whilst hiding out from an army of Darkness."

Hermione ducked her head and even in the fading light he could tell she was blushing. 

"Sorry..." she said.

"Nothing to apologize for, Kitten. It's nice to see that some things haven't changed." Fred shook his head and wrapped his arm around her. "As for your questions — yes, that was a patronus. In addition to Dad, Mom, Bill and Charlie have all learned the spell. Mum's is a weasel, like Dad's. Bill's is a falcon and Charlie's — no surprise — is a dragon. If Percy's ever learned the spell he hasn't told anyone and, let's face it, the odds of him _not_ bragging about the accomplishment are pretty slim."

He made a face, causing Hermione to giggle. 

"How old were they when they learned?" she asked.

"Mum and Dad learned it their last year at school. Bill and Charlie didn't master it until after they'd graduated. It's quite a tricky piece of business, from what I understand. Loads of people never manage it at all and even those that do are sometimes only able to produce an incorporeal shield."

"Amazing! Do you think we'll ever be able to cast one?"

"If anyone can it will be you," he said. "They've yet to invent a spell Hermione Granger can't master."

"If I can then you can," insisted Hermione. She scooted closer and laid her head on his shoulder. "I may have book smarts but you and George are the true masters of magic. The things the pair of you invent... You're brilliant. Truly."

For once in his life, Fred found himself at a loss for words. He cleared his throat and shifted his body into an awkward position so that she could rest more comfortably against him.

"Enough of that, now," he finally said. "There's barely enough room in here for the two of us. If you inflate my ego anymore there's no way the three of us will fit."

She smacked him playfully and snuggled closer. "I'll say whatever I like about whomever I like, thank you very much."

"Fine," Fred said, resting his chin on top of her head. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"You may consider me duly warned."

They sat listening to the sounds of the forest until Hermione asked, "Fred...Should — should I go back to my parents house tomorrow?"

"What? No. You'd planned on staying with us for another week. Why would you go back early?"

He felt her body tense. She hesitated then whispered, "But...will...will I be putting you and your family at risk if I stay?"

"What on earth are you talking about, Kitten?"

"If this is the first wave of... I don't know. Something...bigger, it might not be safe for your family to have me around. You could be hurt if they find you with a…you know. Someone like me."

Fred berated himself for inadvertently putting such a notion in her mind. He gripped her tightly and said, "Stuff and nonsense. This is a random event, nothing more. You'll see. Probably just some nutters trying to make some noise at a big event. Even if it weren't, we made a promise to stick together and that’s what we’re going to do."

He impulsively pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Now get some rest. We're going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll take first watch so you can sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, but be sure and wake me if you start to feel tired." She was quiet once more and soon he felt her breathing begin to slow. Before she nodded off she drowsily murmured, "Fred?"

"Yes?"

"When we get back, do you think you and George could start teaching me some proper defensive magic?"

Fred adjusted the grip on his wand and peered into the darkness. "I think that's an excellent idea, Kitten. I have a feeling we could all probably benefit from some extra instruction in that area."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**December 1994**

“I’m telling you she’s lying,” insisted Ron as he entered the Gryffindor common room.

“Why on earth would she lie about something like that?” asked Harry, following close behind.

Ron dropped his satchel on the floor and flopped down into the chair closest to the fire. “Because a bird showing up by herself is just sad and she knows it.”

Fred leaned back from his place at the table alongside other members of the quidditch team. He crumpled a stray bit of parchment and hurled it across the room, managing to bean his little brother in the head.

“Oi! What are you two numptys yammering about?”

Ginny glanced up from the latest issue of Witch Weekly magazine and rolled her eyes. “It's killing them that they don't know who Hermione’s date for the Yule Ball is.”

Everyone at the table perked up at this information.

“Hermione’s got a date?” asked Fred. 

Fred and George hadn't seen their friend as often as they normally would the past few days but she hadn't missed any meals and appeared to be well rested so they'd written her absences off to her usual end of term study binge.

“I thought she was going with us,” said Angelina, gesturing around the table.

The twins looked lost. “So did we.”

“Did any of you specifically _ask_ Hermione to join you?” Ginny prompted.

“Ummm…Well...No...,” admitted Fred. 

“We just assumed…” said George.

Their sister shook her head in irritation. “That's your problem. She probably thought you were still mad at her for not helping enter your names in the tournament.”

“No! We got that sorted the same day,” said Fred. 

George nodded. “Yeah. She was only trying to make sure we didn’t get ourselves killed — ”

“ — Or worse,” said Fred, dramatically flipping his shoulder length hair. “Keeping our handsome faces from being horribly disfigured.”

Everyone roared with laughter as Ron snorted, “Fine. Make fun of me all you want but I’m telling you she’s bluffing. No way she’s got a date nobody knows about.”

Neville stood and challenged Ron from the other side of the room. “I asked her to go but she said she’d already accepted someone else’s invitation. She wouldn't lie about something like that. She’s not that kind of girl.”

Fred spun around and gave the young man an incredulous look. “ _You_ asked her?”

“Sure. Why not?” answered Neville. “She’s nice, kind, pretty — not to mention wicked smart and really funny once you get to know her. Why _wouldn’t_ someone ask her?”

It took a moment for it to register with Fred and George that Neville was describing Hermione — their Hermione — as a _girl_. An actual girl that blokes might be interested in and the boys struggled to process that information.

Ron considered making a snide comment but thought better of it given the company surrounding him. Instead he demanded, “Then why hasn’t she told anyone who this person _is_?”

Ginny spoke with the air of someone that knows more than she’s telling, “She can’t. Had to take a vow not to say anything before the ball.”

“A _vow_? What kind of bloke swears a girl to secrecy about a _date_?" Fred’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t like this, Georgie. I don’t like it one bit.”

“Neither do I, Freddie. I think we should investigate. Make sure this mystery person is good enough for our Hermione.”

“Don’t waste your time,” piped up Lee Jordan. “ _I_ know who it is.”

The entire room erupted at this news. “Who?” “How?” “What?” “Tell!”

The twins grabbed him by the lapels and dragged him front and center. 

“Alright, Jordan. Spill!" demanded Fred. "How did you come by this information?”

Lee grinned, delighted to possess knowledge that no one else was privy to. “I may have accidentally stumbled across Hermione and the person in question whilst they were...conversing.”

He raised a hand to fend off the subsequent wave of questions. “And don’t ask me to divulge their identity. Besides the fact that I _swore_ to Hermione that I’d keep my mouth shut, I’m rather looking forward to seeing everyone's face when she arrives at the ball.”

Despite their best efforts Fred and George couldn't pry another word out of Lee and all they were able to get out of Hermione was a smile and a mysterious “You’ll see.”

Finally the night of the dance arrived. As the group gathered in the Great Hall, Fred craned his neck around and asked, “Well. Where is she?”

Ron puffed out his chest. “See? Not here. Told you she was bluffing.”

Katie Bell stood on her toes to survey the crowd. “Oh! Maybe she’s with one of the champions! I heard they get to make a special entrance.”

“Can’t be," Ron scoffed. "Harry’s with Parvati.”

George dope slapped the back of his younger brother’s head. “There’s more than one champion, idiot. What about Diggory?”

Padma Patil shook her head. “No. He invited Cho Chang.”

Lee Jordan stood to one side, looking incredibly pleased with himself as Angelina asked, “Is she here with Fleur?”

“Nope,” Lee proclaimed.

The music started and the doors swung open as Fred said, “But that only leaves—"

“—Viktor Krum,” finished George, just as the couple in question made their entrance into the hall.

Everyone gaped in amazement at the sight of Hermione being proudly escorted into the Hall by the world famous quidditch star. They barely recognized their friend, all made up and dressed in a stunning periwinkle blue gown. Her hair, usually an unruly mass of curls, was piled on her head in a sleek, elaborate updo which made her look incredibly elegant.

Angelina squealed in delight. “Oh! She looks so beautiful!”

“Yes. Yes, she does,” Fred agreed quietly.

“And doesn’t Krum look delicious!” swooned Katie.

This remark produced only a grunt from Fred, causing his twin and Lee to chuckle.

The group watched as Hermione and Viktor twirled gracefully around the dance floor to the strains of the waltz. Everyone seemed to be happy for her and only George noticed that Fred’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes the way it usually did.

After the first dance Hermione brought her date over to meet her friends, whereupon Viktor apologized profusely to all of them for the great pains his coach had insisted the girl undergo before the event. The Bulgarian seeker was gracious and polite to everyone and even Fred had to admit that he seemed to be treating Hermione with the proper respect.

The rest of the night flew by and as the majority of the Gryffindor quidditch team started making their way back to the tower, they heard an angry exchange of words then witnessed Ron running furiously in the opposite direction, trying to dodge a pair of high heeled shoes which were being hurled at his head.

Fred and George pushed their way through the crowd to find an enraged Hermione standing next to a bemused Ginny and a slightly terrified Neville.

"What the hell happened here?" cried Fred.

Hermione stormed past him to collect her shoes. "You and George are _very_ close to being the youngest living male Weasleys!"

The twins folded their arms and Fred growled, “Oh, really? Do tell—”

“ — what did icke Ronniekins—”

“—do _this_ time?”

“He started spouting off about how the only reason Viktor invited Hermione to the ball was to spy on Harry. Get his strategies for the tournament,” Neville explained. “Said she was a traitor for 'fraternizing with the enemy'.”

The boys exchanged murderous looks.

“And what did _Viktor_ do about this?” asked Fred.

Hermione marched over and used Fred's arm to steady herself as she put her shoes back on. “He wasn’t here. His coach made him leave early. Said he needed his rest.”

Fred muttered something derogatory about blokes that didn’t have the decency to see their dates safely home, which earned him an irate look from Hermione.

In an effort not lose two brothers in the same evening, George stepped in. "If we could set aside Viktor's beauty sleep for the moment, I believe we have a more pressing situation on our hands."

"And that is?" asked Hermione.

George smirked as he motioned the group together. "Why...how we're going to teach dear baby brother a lesson in manners, of course."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**February 1995**

“Where _are_ they?” asked Fred, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

Lee tightened his scarf as he stamped his feet against the chill, “Not sure about our girl but I'd wager your little brother is still avoiding us after the canary cream incident.”

The others laughed, remembering the extra potent enchanted biscuits the twins had slipped Ron as revenge for his behavior the night of the ball, which had him transforming into a giant canary every fifteen minutes for an entire day.

“You're probably right but where’s Hermione?” Fred asked. “Not like her to be late.”

“Maybe she’s with Ginny?” offered Katie.

Angelina shook her head, “No. Here comes Ginny now. Merlin! She looks in a right state. Wonder what's got her so upset?”

Ginny came charging towards them with a stricken look on her face. Once she was close enough Fred grabbed hold of her arm. “Gin? What’s wrong?”

“Nobody can find Hermione or Ron,” she panted.

“What do you mean, nobody can find them?” asked George.

“I _mean_ they’re _missing_. Cho and Fleur’s little sister are gone as well.” She eyes darted nervously between her brothers. “There’s a rumor going around that the item that the champions will 'sorely miss' if they don't find it isn’t an object at all. ”

The twins felt their stomachs twist.

“What are you saying, Gin?” Fred asked in a low voice.

“It’s people. At the bottom of the lake. They’ve taken Ron to use as bait for Harry and Hermione for Krum.”

Before she’d finished the sentence Fred was sprinting toward the lake with George and the others hot at his heels.

They made it to the dock and forced their way through the mass of organizers and officials. Fred spotted Viktor and before anyone could stop him he'd grabbed hold of the Durmstrang champion, slamming the man hard against a nearby pillar.

Fred got in his face and snarled, “Listen! I don’t care who you are. If anything — anything at all! — happens to her then I…“ He caught himself and glanced at the group of friends behind him, “ _We_ will _end_ you! Do I make myself clear?!”

Krum nodded. “I am very sorry,” he said in his thick Bulgarian accent. “Please to understand. This is not my doing. I swear. I never want anything bad to happen to Herm-o-ninny.”

“It’s _Her-my-o-knee_ , you oaf! If her life’s going to be at risk because of you then at least learn to say her bloody name properly!” Fred managed to get in another shove before the Bulgarian coach pulled them apart.

Still needing an outlet for his anger, Fred rounded on Dumbledore, who was standing nearby. “And you?! What are you thinking?! How could you let them do this?! Hermione can’t even swim!”

The elderly wizard laid his hand on Fred’s shoulder. “Calm down, Mister Weasley. All the participants are perfectly safe. You should know that I’d never let anything happen to one of my students.”

“Really?” said Fred, jerking away from the Hogwarts Headmaster. “I’m not sure we know that at all… _sir_.”

Fred and the others were then escorted off the dock and made to stand on shore until the whistle sounded to begin the second task, leaving the spectators to stare at the flat, black surface of the lake with nothing but their imaginations to give them any idea of what might be happening in the murky darkness below.

They waited anxiously for over an hour before Cedric finally appeared with Cho. A few more fearful minutes passed and Fred and George were on the verge of diving into the lake themselves when Krum burst from the icy waters to deposit Hermione on the dock. 

Within seconds her friends swarmed around her. George attempted a drying spell while Fred wrapped her in his jacket before Madame Pomfrey pushed her way through with a thick blanket and a warming potion. Fred insisted on being the one to accompany Hermione to the nearby tent so she could be checked by healers while George remained by the lake to keep a lookout for Ron and Harry.

Fred tried his best to stay out of the way of the medical team, lurking in the background until everyone was confident that Hermione had suffered no physical injuries from the task. Once Pomfrey and the others left, Fred made his way over to the table Hermione was sitting on. 

He shoved his hands in his back pockets and asked, "So...how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," answered Hermione. "Madame Pomfrey informs me that you accosted Viktor before the task."

"We may have had...words."

She stared at him for a moment then smacked him hard. "Why?!"

"Why?!" Fred yelped, rubbing his arm in pain. "It was because of him that you were kidnapped and held hostage under the bloody lake for hours!"

"No one kidnapped me, Fred! The four of us were summoned to the Headmaster's office early this morning and asked to volunteer."

"You?! Volunteered to be held underwater for over an hour when you can't swim? _You_ voluntarily relinquished your wand and put your life in the hands of a bloke you've only known a couple of months, just because someone asked you nicely? You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you..." He sat beside her and quietly hissed, " _Kitten_?"

Hermione pulled the blanket tight around her. "I was assured by Dumbledore and the organizers that I would be perfectly safe."

"Since when you trust the organizers of...wait, what did you call it again? Oh yes, I remember. I believe your exact words were 'a barbaric, antiquated, primitive travesty'. When Georgie and I wanted to put our names in the goblet you had VERY strong thoughts on the subject, even though _we_ were willing participants. Why the sudden about face?"

Hermione pursed her lips but didn't answer him. Fred leaned over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Tell me the truth. Did they threaten you?"

Hermione sat up straight. "No one threatened me," she insisted.

He studied her face carefully. "No. They did something worse, didn't they? They _implied_. They _insinuated_. They made you think that if you refused you'd be seen as less of a witch. You were the only Muggle born selected and they preyed on that."

Hermione averted her eyes. "It was never said in so many words — "

"—But you knew that's what they meant," Fred finished the thought as he pulled her into a fierce hug. "Those utter bastards."

Hermione briefly relaxed in his arms then leaned back and lifted her chin. "I'm not a victim, Fred. Thanks to you and George my ability to cast defensive spells has improved significantly over the past few months. I can take care of myself. This was entirely my decision."

"A decision made under duress. They manipulated you and that's not right!"

The venom in his voice surprised her and she took his hand in hers. "Fred. It's okay. I'm fine. Really."

"It's _not_ okay. They put you in danger and it scared me...us...everyone. We thought you might — " He swallowed hard.

"But I didn't." She squeezed his hand then laid the blanket aside and shrugged off the jacket he'd wrapped her in earlier. "Thank you for your concern. And your coat. It was very nice of you but I think you need it back. I'm sure Molly's in enough of a state over Ron. If you catch cold because of me then I'll never be allowed back inside the Burrow." 

Fred hesitated then pulled off his jumper, revealing a vintage Weird Sisters concert tee shirt underneath.

"Only if you put this on instead. It'll take a while for that warming potion to work its way through your system. You'll need the extra layers."

"Don't be silly, Fred. You don't need to — "

Fred didn't give her the opportunity to protest any further. He plucked the coat out of her hands and shoved the jumper over her head, causing her hair to spark and frizz with static electricity.

He grinned as he slipped his jacket back on. "Need help with the arms? I've had plenty of practice dressing my younger siblings as well as a ridiculous number of drunk quidditch mates. I've even had to wrestle Bill and Charlie into their clothes after the occasional bender. It'll be no problem."

She rolled her eyes and finished donning the sweater. "I'm fully capable of dressing myself, thank you."

She picked up the blanket and draped it over her shoulders before wrapping her arm around Fred's waist. "Now, let's go see how Harry and Ron are getting on, shall we? I'm worried they haven't surfaced yet."

Fred placed his arm around her. "Me too. With our luck the silly git has gone all noble on everyone again."

As Fred predicted, they arrived just in time to see Harry emerge from the lake with both Fleur's sister and Ron in tow, much to the relief of all parties involved.

The twins stuck to Hermione like glue over the following days and while she appreciated their concern she finally had to fuss at them for walking so closely behind her that they were stepping on the back of her shoes. 

Time passed and things had almost returned to normal — and then came the night in June when they attended the third task and everything went to hell.

**June 1995**

Two days after the horrible events at the maze, a crowd gathered at the funeral of Cedric Diggory. The twins sat stone faced on either side of Hermione, each clutching one of her hands. 

It had been bad enough when there was a possibility that someone could get hurt. Now someone - a student barely older than they were - had _died_ and it made thinking about what might have happened to Hermione and Ron during the second trial even more terrifying. 

Hermione maintained her composure during the service but once the three were alone she burst into almost uncontrollable sobs. The twins, surprised at the depth of her grief, gathered her in their arms.

“Hey. Kitten? You okay?” asked Fred.

“We’re sorry. We didn't realize you cared so much about Diggory—” started George.

“This isn’t about Cedric!” she cried. “I mean…it is, but…” 

They gave her a minute to collect herself and she finally blurted out, “It’s about you.”

“Us?” the pair replied in unison.

“Yes! Don't you see? It might have been you! If your stupid plans to enter that awful tournament had succeeded that might have been you we were burying today. It might have been…”

She broke down again and the boys let her cry until Fred gently said, “Now you know how we felt while you were under the Lake.”

“But we’re okay," George added. "And so are you."

"Right. And it’s going to stay that way, understand?” said Fred.

“It has to, Fred,” she whispered. “Because I don’t think I could cope if I lost either of you.”

“Well you can stop worrying, ‘cuz that’ll never happen. You’re stuck with us remember?” Fred said. “We’re not going anywhere and we’re never going to let anything happen to you either because we’re friends. Forever.”

“Promise?”

“Of course. We made a deal, remember?” said Fred.

She gave them a weak nod as the boys began steering her towards the door.

“Good. Now that we have that settled,” said George. “Let’s go and see what’s cooking in the kitchens. I bet if we ask nicely, Winky will rustle us up some treacle tarts.”

“But only if you promise not to try and free her against her will again,” teased Fred, tapping Hermione on the nose before playfully nudging her shoulder.

"How can you even think of food at a time like this?" she gently scolded them.

"Because life goes on, Kitten," said Fred. "We mourn and we remember but the best way to honor Cedric is to _live_."

"Besides," added George, "We need to keep our strength up. The Ministry may not be willing to admit what just happened but we all know that Harry is right about You-Know-Who and that means things are probably going to get worse before they get better."

With that the trio went off, arm in arm, knowing in their hearts that George was right while at the same time desperately hoping that he was wrong.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Spring 1996**

Hermione hurried along the darkened corridor, desperate to put as much distance as possible between herself and the detention she'd just served. She turned the corner and yelped in surprise as a hand shot out of an empty classroom and dragged her inside. She brandished her wand before breathing a sigh of relief when she realized her 'abductor' was Fred. He shot a glance down the hallway before carefully shutting the door and warding the room for privacy.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“It wasn’t too bad.”

He didn’t need to see her face to know she was lying. After spending the majority of the previous summer in close quarters at Grimmauld Place the twins now communicated with Hermione as effortlessly as they did each other. The long hours teaching her how to apparate, practicing defensive moves with Sirius and plotting pranks on Ron and Percy had made the trio's already tight bond even stronger.

“Show me,” he insisted.

She hesitated before warily holding out her arms. Carved into her skin by Dolores Umbridge’s cursed pen were the words, “I am nothing but a filthy mudblood.”

Fred fought back the sick rising in his throat as he spun on his heel and stormed towards the door muttering, “That’s it. I’m going to kill her.”

“Fred, stop! Wait!”

He kept moving until he heard Hermione plead, “Please? Do you have any essence of murtlap on you? It - it does sting a bit.”

Her request stopped him in his tracks. She knew he could no more leave her in pain than he could George. He gave a deep sigh and walked back towards her as he pulled the tin of balm out of his pocket. He motioned for her to take a seat while summoning a chair for himself. He then rolled up her sleeves and began gently dabbing the ointment onto the open wounds.

The tension grew to an almost uncomfortable level until Fred finally spoke.

“Why’d you do it?”

“Do what?”

“You _know_ what, Hermione.”

She knew he was upset if they were alone and he was using her given name instead of her nickname.

“Why did you take the fall for that prank?” he growled. “We went out of our way to ensure that you weren’t involved. We’re trying to keep you as far away from _her_ as possible.”

Hermione shrugged. “She’d already gotten her hands on you and Georgie three times this week. You needed a break.”

Fred wasn’t sure if he wanted to shout at her or hug her. He chose the latter.

“Damn it, Kitten,” he whispered, pulling her close. “That’s not how this is supposed to work and you know it.”

“Yes, well, there are a great many things around here than aren’t working the way they’re supposed to at the moment,” she answered.

Fred couldn’t argue with that. Instead he stood and extended his hand towards her. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

“Where to?”

He gave her a look and she raised an eyebrow. 

“We’ll get in trouble for leaving school grounds,” she said in answer to his unspoken suggestion.

“Fine. Would you rather stay here and abide by Educational Decree #26?” he said, referring to the latest school regulation which stipulated that male and female students were required to stay at least six inches apart — an almost impossible task for someone like Hermione who hugged her friends as naturally as breathing.

Sensing her apprehension he added, “If we’re caught I’ll tell them I used an Imperius and kidnapped you."

Hermione snorted, “That’s utterly ridiculous.”

“Yeah? Well, welcome to Hogwarts, Kitten.” Fred gestured around the room with a dramatic flourish. “The reigning world capital of the utterly ridiculous.”

She chuckled ruefully as she nodded her agreement. They were headed towards the door when she suddenly stopped and asked, “Wait. Where’s George?”

“George, Lee and Luna are preparing a present for that horrid pink toad as well as the ever delightful Argus Filch. Suffice it to say that neither of them will be in any position to care about a couple of missing students for the next few hours.”

“Luna? Really? Again?”

“Again,” Fred confirmed as he ushered Hermione out of the classroom and into the forgotten hallway which lead to their escape route. “Turns out Filch’s feline loves her. All the girl has to do is sit on the floor and the beast curls up in her lap and falls asleep. Who knew?”

“Georgie, apparently,” Hermione grinned.

Luna Lovegood's inclusion in the group was yet another unexpected consequence of the attack on Mister Weasley before Christmas. Each member of the family had reacted differently to the strain of almost losing Arthur and the twins had been no exception. 

George dealt with the trauma by slinking off to sit alone for hours on the banks of the Black Lake. It was during one of those interludes that he'd come across Luna, who was more than happy to sit silently beside him, her serene presence helping to calm the turmoil in his mind.

Fred, on the other hand, felt the need to rant and rave whilst breaking things, so the Shrieking Shack — their current destination — had proven to be the ideal location for him. Once she was confident George was in good hands Hermione made it her mission to accompany Fred on his trips to the Shack to ensure he didn't end up hurting himself or blasting the place to smithereens while he vented his pent up emotions.

Tonight they slipped out of the castle via one of their many hidden tunnels and darted across the grounds. Shrouded by their best concealment charms, they made their way towards the dark, angry silhouette of the Whomping Willow. Neither of them reduced speed in the slightest as they drew near, charging full steam along the well practiced route that wound through the labyrinth of thrashing limbs until reaching the knot on the tree's base which opened the secret entrance to the Shack.

In a flash they were in the tunnel that led to the abandoned house on the border of Hogsmeade village. Its run down appearance and reputation for being the most haunted spot in Britain ensured their privacy, even without the additional charms and wards they'd recently put in place around the building.

Once they were safely inside the passage they slowed to a brisk walk, their lumos spells lighting the way to what had become a sanctuary from the madness besieging not only the school but the rest Wizarding World as well.

Upon arrival Fred popped the trap door and gave Hermione a boost before hoisting himself into the makeshift sitting room they'd constructed. With a flick of their wands the room was dusted, the lamps lit and a kettle in the derelict kitchen was on its way to boiling.

Just then a large silvery owl burst into the room and circled above their heads as George's voice proudly exclaimed, "Mission accomplished! The three of us have been granted temporary sanctuary in the Badger's Den. Send response to verify you're okay."

With that the bird quickly vanished in a burst of white light. Hermione and Fred grinned at each other and produced their wands.

"Patronus race?" Fred challenged.

"You're on," replied Hermione.

Seconds later Hermione's otter and Fred's osprey were tearing off towards the castle in a mad dash to see who could reach their friends' hiding place in the Hufflepuff Common Room first.

"Are you still glad yours didn't end up being a kitten?" Fred asked.

Hermione nodded. "I'm even more glad we had somewhere like this for the three of us to practice the spell so I could find out in private rather that in front of the entire DA."

They dropped onto the shabby, moth eaten settee and propped their feet on the low table in front of them, mindful of the wobbly leg that been repaired far too many times.

They tipped their heads back and exhaled in relief.

"So..." ventured Fred. "Other than being tortured by a megalomaniacal despot, anything interesting happen to you today?"

"Not really," said Hermione. "I went to class, returned a few library books, participated in an illegal underground rebellion, dodged members of an inquisitorial squad. You know. The usual."

"They make you return library books?" asked Fred, as if that were the most unusual item she had listed. "Maybe _that's_ why old Pince keeps throwing me out of the place."

"She throws you out because you and Georgie enchant the encyclopedias to fly like birds and swoop down on Draco Malfoy's head," corrected Hermione.

"So? I thought that would be considered a public service."

"And what sort of service would you call changing the text in Madam Pince's copy of _A History of Charms_ to that of a steamy romance novel?"

"An essential one. She needed something to get her pulse pounding. Poor old thing looks like a worn out, underfed vulture," he said, then sat up and eyed Hermione suspiciously. "Hold on! How did you know what we changed the words to?"

Hermione shrugged as she kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her. "I may have skimmed a page or two over her shoulder before she slammed the book shut."

Fred's eyes widened. "You're not serious!"

"Of course I'm not Sirius. He's much taller than I am," deadpanned Hermione, causing Fred to bark out a laugh.

"Yes! Thank you, Kitten! You have no idea how much I needed that today."

There was a whistle from the kitchen and Hermione summoned the kettle along with fully stocked tray onto the table in front of them. She set the tea to steeping and handed Fred a biscuit.

"So, how was your day?" she asked. "The rest of the firework ingredients show up yet?"

"Almost. We're only lacking the recently shed scales from a Ukrainian Ridgeback along with the Blast Ended Skrewt carapaces from Charlie but they should arrive tomorrow."

"Once you have those in hand how long will it take before everything's ready to go?"

"Two days. Three at the most."

Hermione poured the tea and handed a cup to Fred before taking a slow sip of her own. She studied it carefully before laying it aside to pull a pillow into her lap.

"That's...sooner than I anticipated."

"We got the official word on the shop this morning. Thanks to Harry's generosity, everything's been approved and we can take occupancy of the space immediately. We thought it was better to move quick before word got out. We were going to tell you after lunch but couldn't find you."

"Sorry about that. I had an unscheduled stop to make before my appointment with Umbridge," said Hermione.

Fred offered her a biscuit, which she politely declined. He took another swig of his drink and asked, "Have you given any more thought to our offer?"

"I've thought of little else."

"And...?"

"And...while part of me desperately wishes I chuck it all and join you, I'm afraid my answer has to be no."

"Any chance of us changing your mind?"

"There might have been — but not after today."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the reason you couldn't find me after lunch was I'd been summoned to Dumbledore's office."

Fred tightened the grip on his cup. "And what, pray tell, did our dear Headmaster convince you to do _this_ time?"

"He asked a favor."

"Favor? Is that another polite way of saying he asked you to make a vow?"

Hermione shifted her gaze towards the ceiling, causing Fred to slam his cup on the table. "Bloody Hell! What's he gotten you into now?"

She sighed and hugged the pillow to her chest. "I think he's figured out that you guys are up to something. He asked that I promise to stay at school as long as possible in order to help Harry and Ron."

"Help them with what?"

"He wouldn't get into specifics but it sounded like he envisioned a time when he'd have to send them on a...quest of some sort, I suppose you'd call it and he wants me to assist them. He said worst case scenario the boys might one day have to fend for themselves. Said Harry and Ron wouldn’t last two days on their own and he’s probably right.”

"Why can't he send Longbottom with them? Those three are thick as thieves. Always have been."

"I got the feeling Dumbledore has other plans for Neville but he wasn't about to share them with me."

"Of course not," sniped Fred, shaking his head. "Merlin! I wish you would tell the old boy to sod off."

"It's not just Dumbledore, Fred. How exactly would you suggest I explain to my parents that I'm suddenly leaving school without even taking my O.W.L.s?"

"Because you could take your _N.E.W.T.s_ tomorrow and ace all of them," insisted Fred.

Hermione smiled and reached for Fred's hand. "While I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, Fred, my education is important to me."

"I know. I just hate the thought of not seeing you every day."

"Same here."

Fred gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, taking care not to aggravate her recent injuries. "Any idea of what this 'quest' is or when it might take place?"

"Hard to say but you know as well as I do that it's looking less and less safe for someone of my 'blood type' around here. The fact of the matter is that until You-Know-Who is dealt with there isn’t much of a future for me in this world at all…”

As she gestured at the words she'd just been forced her to carve into her skin, Fred pulled her into a firm embrace.

“Then we’ll just have to deal with him, won’t we? Because you aren't leaving this world, Kitten. Not now. Not ever. Not if I have a damn thing to say about it.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Spring / Summer 1996**

Three days after Fred and Hermione's discussion at the Shrieking Shack, the twins enacted their epic departure from Hogwarts, flying to freedom with a theatrical flair after enacting an elaborate plan of sabotage, subversion and anarchy, earning an exuberant salute from Peeves the poltergeist in the process.

The brazen spectacle was met with thunderous applause from the student body as well the majority of the faculty and staff. Hermione, Lee and Luna put on the performance of their lives, acting as shocked and surprised as anyone when fireworks began erupting throughout the castle.

Hermione missed the boys dreadfully but the three managed to keep in touch almost daily, in spite of the Ministry's increased restrictions on student communications.

Before leaving Fred and George created two small wooden boxes with flowers carved around the sides —one for Hermione and one for themselves. Taking inspiration from the vanishing cabinet into which they'd shoved Graham Montague and Mr. Granger's collection of Muggle puzzle boxes, they fashioned their own private postal service. All one of them needed to do was to place a letter inside their box then press the centers of the flowers in a particular order and the contents would then magically appear in the other box. 

This allowed them to correspond freely until the end of term. Once she was liberated from the school and its ever growing list of confining regulations, Hermione spent almost all her free time helping Fred and George put the finishing touches on the joke shop.

The night before the grand opening they did a final walk through to make sure everything was in tiptop shape. Hermione carefully adjusted a towering display of Boggart Bangers then took a step back and admired their handiwork as the boys stood anxiously on either side of her.

"So...what do you think, Kitten?" asked Fred.

"Yeah. How do we score on the Granger scale?" inquired George.

"It's wonderful!" proclaimed Hermione. "Look at it all! If only Hogwarts had allowed you to approach your studies in a less regimented format you would have scored Outstanding’s on any topic offered!"

She twirled happily down the aisles, gesturing at products as she went.

"Charms! Potions! Transfiguration! Defense Against the Dark Arts!" 

She picked up a furry purple Pygmy Puff and cuddled it before returning it to its cage. "Even Care of Magical Creatures!" 

She gave a final spin then raced back to hug the twins. "You are, without a doubt, the most brilliant wizards I’ve ever met!"

The boys burst into laughter as Fred playfully tweaked her nose.

"Careful. Remember what I said about feeding my ego?"

"At least now you've got a space big enough to store it!' beamed Hermione.

"Thank you but we couldn't have done any of this without your help. So, in recognition of your tireless assistance and unfailing encouragement, we want _you_ to have the honor of being the recipient of the very first item from the store," said Fred.

"Really? What?"

"Anything you want, Kitten! Your choice!" announced George.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Hermione. "There's so much in here. I wouldn't know where to begin!"

"Rubbish!" said Fred. "You helped develop half the products in here. You know the inventory as well as we do."

Hermione scanned the shelves thoughtfully. "Hmmm....Okay, then. Give me a minute to think..."

"Take all the time you need," George said as he started up the stairs to the boys' flat. "I'm going to change clothes and floo call the others to make sure we're still on for our celebratory dinner tonight at the Leaky."

She gave a distracted nod as she wandered over to inspect the Wonder Witch Love Potion display.

As she picked up one of the violently pink colored bottles, Fred cleared his throat. 

"Don't waste your time with those."

"Why?" asked Hermione. "Don't they work?"

"They work perfectly," he bristled. "You just don't need them."

"Says who?"

"Says Lee Jordan."

"Lee? What on earth are you talking about?"

Fred folded his arms and leaned against a shelf. "According to him, you spent an awful lot of time with Longbottom after we left."

"Neville? I suppose with the DA and study sessions in the library we did see more of each other than in the past. What of it?"

Fred arched an eyebrow. "Word is the two of you were spotting getting pretty cozy in a dark corner of the Three Broomsticks recently."

"Oh, that!" she laughed. "Nev was doing me a favor. I needed someone to help me evade the attentions of Cormac McLaggen." She picked up a different bottle and held it up to the light. "He's a good person."

"Cormac?!"

"Sweet Merlin, no! I meant Neville!" Seeing the look on Fred's face, Hermione clarified, "He saved my life, remember? When we went after that blasted prophecy at the Ministry?"

"Don't remind me," growled Fred. "We still haven't completely forgiven those guys for getting you, Ginny and Luna involved in that mess. The whole lot of you could've been killed."

"It didn't bother you enough to return Harry's investment money." Hermione gave Fred's arm a joking nudge and was surprised when he remained grim.

"As a matter of fact we tried but when we brought up the subject Harry wouldn't hear of it. I think he felt guilty about what happened that night, especially after — "

Fred stopped, deciding now wasn't the time to bring up Sirius' untimely demise. Instead he abruptly changed the subject.

"So — is McClaggen still giving you problems? Do Georgie and I need to sort him out?"

"No," said Hermione firmly. "I can take care of myself, thank you."

"I have no doubts whatsoever about that." Fred paused then awkwardly gestured towards the display of Love Potions. "You...you don't really want one of those, do you?"

Hermione placed the bottle back with a shake of her head. "Absolutely not. I'm opposed to them on moral grounds. If you have to chemically compel someone to love you then they aren't worth having around in the first place."

"Well spoken," said Fred, reaching for one of the brightly colored products behind her. "How about one of these instead?"

"One of your Daydream charms?" Hermione smiled as she took the package from him. "I've always thought these were quite extraordinary."

She stood tall and read the blurb on the box in her best presentation voice. "Get swept away by your secret fantasies! Guaranteed thirty minutes of living out your heart's deepest desire!"

She squinted to read fine print. "Side effects may include drooling, palpitations and dazed expressions."

Fred brought his mouth close to her ear and spoke in a dramatic hush. "We recommend taking it just before bed in order to avoid any...embarrassing public reactions."

"Really? And I suppose you know this because you've tested them yourselves?"

Suddenly George reappeared, apparating beside them with a loud pop. 

"Oh, we tested them alright," George said with a knowing smile. "The results were most illuminating. I suppose you could say it worked like the proverbial charm, didn't it Freddie?"

Fred glared at his brother causing Hermione to laugh.

"You've talked me into it, Georgie," she said, reaching for her handbag. "I'll take one. How much?"

"For all the aggravation we've caused you over the years? _That_ , Kitten," Fred insisted, "Is free. If you enjoy it let us know and we'll send you as many as you'd like — on the house."

"That's very kind of you but if you start giving away product you won't stay in business very long."

"Oh, trust us. You've more than earned anything in here," said Fred.

"Absolutely. Including the dinner we're treating you to this evening," said George.

A sharp knock on door signaled the arrival of the others. As George went to let them in, Hermione deposited the daydream charm in her purse and looked wistfully around.

"I can't wait to tell Mum and Dad about this place. They'll be so excited to hear how you incorporated some of the lights and colors from our trips to Blackpool."

Fred reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Maybe one day soon you can bring them along."

Hermione sighed. "I hope so but the way things are now with You-Know-Who —"

Before anything else could be said Lee, Angie, Luna and Katie piled into shop and after the obligatory round of hugs the group took off for the Leaky Cauldron.

xoxox

The following day was an absolute whirlwind. The shop was jam packed with customers from the moment the doors opened and it was midmorning before Fred finally caught sight of the back of Hermione's head from across the room. He pushed his way through the crowd and tapped her on the shoulder.

"We were wondering when you'd get here! What do you — "

Fred froze when Hermione turned to reveal a horrendous bruise forming on the right side of her face. His eyes flashed as he grabbed her by the arm.

"What the hell?! Who did that to you?! Tell me! Give me a name!"

Hearing the ruckus, George forced his way over to see what was the matter as Hermione tried to calm Fred down.

"Fred! Stop it!" she hissed in an attempt to avoid the attention now being drawn in her direction. "Nobody did anything!"

"What's all the commotion?" asked George. "You'd think — Sweet Circe! What the hell happened to Hermione?!"

"That's what I'm about to find out!" answered Fred.

" _Nothing_ happened! That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Hermione huffed. "The boys were asking me about the Boxing Telescope so I went to show them how the mechanism was activated. I remembered to hold it a safe distance from my face but someone inadvertently jostled my arm. It was a simple accident, nothing more."

Fred and George's eyes shot towards Neville, Ron and Harry, all of whom were staring sheepishly at their shoes.

"Sorry," muttered Ron.

"It really was an accident," said Harry.

"I was going to try a healing charm but she said — ," started a distressed Neville as Hermione laid a reassuring hand on his arm.

"It's okay, Nev." She turned back to the twins. "I was just explaining to him that a charm wouldn't do any good but I know where you keep the Bruise Removal Paste and that would fix everything up in trice."

Fred scowled at the boys as he wrapped his arm around her. "Right. Let's go to the back and get you taken care of." He glanced at George and said, "You take care of this lot?"

George gave a nod as he elbowed an embarrassed Ron. "Oh, yeah. You go ahead while the lads and I have a nice, long chat."

Fred guided Hermione into the stock room and fetched the often used tin of Bruise Removal Paste from its spot next to the work bench.

"Hop up," he ordered, gesturing at one of the high wooden stools nearby. 

Hermione made herself comfortable and reached for the tin but Fred shook his head. 

"Be easier if I do it," he said. "Look up and close your eyes."

Hermione complied, tipping her head towards the ceiling and shutting her eyes tight. As Fred leaned in to apply the ointment he was startled by the slight tremor that occurred when his fingers brushed against her skin. 

"You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she answered quickly. "Y-your fingers are a little cold, that's all."

"Sorry," he said, noticing a faint blush rising on her cheeks. _The room does seem a bit warmer than normal_ , he thought. _Must be all the extra people in the building today_.

He dabbed some more of the paste near her nose, causing her mouth to twitch and he wondered briefly if her lips always been that warm pink color.

He finished covering the bruise then paused, temporarily distracted as he wondered why he'd never really noticed the texture of her skin or how thick and dark her eyelashes were.

Before he could formulate an answer there was a rap on the door, causing both of them to jump.

"Everything okay in here?" George asked, peeking inside. 

"Yep. No problem. Everything's fine," answered Fred, jamming the top back onto the tin. 

"Thank goodness. Those guys are almost beside themselves with worry. Poor Neville looks like he's going to pass out," chuckled George. "And Ron's terrified we're going pump him full of more canary creams for hurting Hermione."

"Ron's the one that did this?!" growled Fred.

"Not on purpose," Hermione rushed to explain. "As I was demonstrating the telescope to Neville, Ron _did_ nudge my arm but only because Harry startled him by bumping into the display of Mayhem Makers. Like I said, it was purely an accident so _promise me_ you won't go plotting revenge on any of them, okay?"

She gave the twins a stern look and Fred pulled a face before giving a reluctant nod. "Fine...but I reserve the right to raise the rates on any of ickle Ronniekins purchases — today or in the future."

"I concur," said George. "As a matter of fact, I think I'll go and inform Verity of the new 'Ronald tax' right now."

He smiled at Hermione as he headed back out to the shop floor. "You be sure and find me before you leave today, Kitten. Promise?"

"I promise, Georgie."

As the door closed behind him, Hermione turned her attention back to Fred.

"Well, thank you very much for the first aid. Is my face looking better yet?"

"You look ravishing, as always, Kitten," he proclaimed.

"Now who's feeding whose ego?" Hermione giggled and hopped off the stool. "I suppose I should get out there and reassure those guys that I'm okay."

Fred rolled his eyes. "I personally would let them stew a bit longer but if you must."

She was almost at the door when Fred called out after her.

"Hey! I forgot to ask. Did you try the Daydream charm yet?"

She hesitated before answering. 

"As a matter of fact I did. Last night. Before bed. As instructed."

Fred waggled his eyebrows. "Well...Come on! Don't hold out on me. Let's hear the juicy details!"

"I can't. If I do that it won't come true."

"That only applies to wishes."

She pondered that statement then countered with, "Yes, but what are daydreams if not something you _wish_ would happen?"

"Okay. So this your daydream of yours...It's something that hasn't happened yet but you _wish_ that it would?"

Hermione bit her lip before cautiously admitting, "Yes. Yes, it is."

Fred waited expectantly but when no further reply was forthcoming he sighed.

"Alright. Have your secrets," he said, reaching to open the door for her. "But will you at least tell me if it comes true?"

She gave a shy nod. 

"That I _can_ promise you, Fred. If my daydream ever comes true, you'll _definitely_ be the first to know."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Summer 1997**

“Come on! Get your arses inside! Don’t have time for cozy catch ups! We've got to hustle and get the hell out of here!” barked Alastor Moody from the doorway.

The twins kept their eyes on Hermione as the group filed into the room. She’d not been fully herself since she'd shown up at their place two weeks earlier in a state of panic.

It had been the night after Dumbledore's funeral. She had arrived via floo, clutching an armload of books, begging for assistance in developing a plan to protect her parents by erasing their memories of her and sending them to Australia with new identities. 

Fred and George immediately agreed to help, poring through the countless volumes alongside her in order to determine the safest method possible to achieve the goal of keeping her family safe. 

Once they'd settled on a course of action the boys did whatever they could for her, even having dinner with the Grangers that fateful evening in order to provide moral support for their friend. After dessert Fred and George stood by her side as she cast the spell.

Afterwards the boys tried to remain strong for Hermione but truth be told everyone shed more than a few tears as they apparated to the twins' flat where Hermione had remained ever since, staying in Fred's room while he and George shared the other. 

She'd argued about the arrangement at first, insisting she didn't want to be a bother and that she was perfectly happy sleeping on the sofa, but Fred held his ground and Hermione could tell by the look in his eyes that this was one fight that she wasn't going to win. She eventually gave in with the provision that they shared the cooking and cleaning duties until she could find a place of her own.

Now the three of them, along with other members of the Order of the Phoenix, were standing in a deserted living room on Privet Drive, preparing to transfigure themselves into Harry Potter look-a-likes in order to serve as decoys in an effort to safely transport the Chosen One from the Dursley's former address in Surry to the relative safety of the Burrow. 

As they listened to Mad-Eye recap the plan, Fred caught Hermione’s attention just as she got the cue to forcibly acquire enough of Harry's hair to activate the polyjuice. When she walked past, Fred softly imitated a hissing cat, earning him a sharp jab in the ribs for his troubles.

After the potion took effect the seven newly created Potters began digging through the bag containing identical sets of clothes to complete the illusion. Fred tried to ignore the sight of 'Harry' stripping off Hermione’s jumper to reveal her under garments but was entirely unsuccessful in the attempt.

Soon it was time for the each member of the group to find their assigned travelling partner. As the teams prepared to leave, one of the Harrys broke ranks to rush over and gave each twin a quick hug. When they embraced, Fred had the awkward experience of hearing the Gryffindor seeker’s voice whisper in his ear, “Stay safe, Fred. Nothing reckless. Nothing foolhardy. No heroics. You promised, remember?”

Fred was inordinately pleased that even with everyone charmed to look exactly like Harry, Hermione could still identify him. He checked to make sure no one else was listening and whispered back, “You too, Kitten. Last one to the Burrow has to do all the housework for a month. Deal?”

Harry / Hermione stepped back and grinned. “Deal.”

xoxox

Fred was never able to accurately describe what happened next. The group had no more left the ground in Little Whinging when they were set upon by dozens of Death Eaters and the subsequent hour turned into a maelstrom of explosions, curses, adrenaline and terror as he and his father tore through the night sky in a desperate bid to stay alive.

When they finally reached the Burrow, Fred's heart was racing as his eyes darted around the yard searching for George and Hermione. He breathed an immense sigh of relief when he spotted Hermione barreling towards him and he only just managed to brace himself properly before she was hurtling into his arms.

He squeezed her as tight possible as he whispered, "Thank Merlin! You okay?" 

She didn't say anything but he could feel her nod against his chest.

He held on a moment longer and joked, "That's good. Now, please tell me I'm not the last one back 'cuz if I am I'm going to want the chance to go double or nothing on the housework — "

He stopped midsentence when he looked down and for the first time noticed her red eyes and tear stained face. His hands shook as he pushed a lock of hair from her forehead to reveal a rather nasty cut that no one had bothered to heal yet.

His blood ran cold as he watched her mouth open and close as she struggled to speak but try as she might the only sounds she could produce were soft whimpers.

"Hermione? What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked, his voice rising in panic.

Someone next to him spoke up. "It's George. He's...hurt."

Fred's head snapped around to see Harry and Hagrid standing nearby looking very somber.

"What do you mean — hurt?" Fred blinked as he tried to process the words he was hearing.

He felt Hermione take his hand and pull him towards the house. 

"Come on," she said in a hoarse voice. "I'll take you to him."

xoxox

When he found her again she was sitting alone in the yard outside the Burrow, wrapped in a well worn, patchwork blanket, staring at the stars. As he settled down next to her, she gave a sidewise glance and silently handed him a small silver flask. He took a sniff of the contents and raised an eyebrow.

"Fire Whiskey? When did this replace tea as your beverage of choice?"

"Somehow, I didn't think Earl Grey was going to cut it after what happened tonight."

"You're probably right," Fred nodded, taking a deep swig of the liquor, feeling it burn as it trickled down his throat. They peered into the darkness, neither allowing themselves the luxury of breaking down, each trying to be strong for the other.

After a moment Fred asked, "How's Harry doing?"

"He's a wreck," said Hermione. "You know how he is. Blames himself for all of it. The loss of Mad-Eye and Hedwig. Georgie getting hurt. Everything." 

Fred could hear the strain in her voice. He handed the drink back and watched as she downed a shot.

"How are _you_ doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said in a tone that indicated that she was anything but fine. "Any progress on repairing Georgie's ear?"

"Nah. Best I can tell, it's a lost cause. Mum sent me out of the house so they could try one last ditch effort but apparently these kind of Dark Magic injuries can never truly be healed."  
  
Hermione studied the flask in her hands. "Suppose I'll have to get used to it then."

"Get used to what?"

"Not being the only one that can tell the two of you apart."

"I suppose so," said Fred. 

"We'll still be friends though, right?" Hermione asked in a small, frightened voice that startled him. She took one look at his face and blurted, "I'm sorry! That was a horrid, silly, self involved thing to say in light of what happened. You must think I'm — " 

Her head dropped to her knees and her shoulders began to shake.

"Hey. Stop that. Look at me," Fred tugged on her blanket until she raised her face towards him. "Do you honestly mean to tell me that after all this time you still don’t believe us when we say you’re our friend no matter what?"

Hermione gave a weak shrug. “Most of me does but...every now and again a little voice in the back of my head pops up and says that friends like you are too good to be true. That one morning I’ll wake up and be alone again.” She sniffed back a tear. "So when I got here and Georgie was hurt and you weren't back, well...it was like Cedric's funeral only worse and — "

Fred pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair, trying hard not to think about what might have happened to everyone he loved that night.

“Well, you can tell that stupid voice to sod off. I've said it before and I’ll say it again. You're stuck with us — forever — whether you like the idea or not.”

She took a deep breath, reached for his hand and whispered, “I-I like it. I like that idea very much.”

Fred interlaced their fingers and squeezed. “Me too, Kitten. Me too.”

"Ahem!"

The sound of a deep male voice from behind startled the pair. They whipped around to see Bill Weasley standing a few feet away.

"Sorry to bother you Hermione but Fleur needs help brewing a potion and things'll go a lot quicker if it's someone with a better grasp of French than the rest of us have. Think you could give her a hand?"

"Absolutely. No problem." 

Bill helped her to her feet and Hermione handed him the flask of Fire Whiskey before giving Fred a soft smile. "I'll see you later?"

"Count on it," he replied.

As she made her way to the house, Bill sat next to Fred, paying close attention to the way his brother's eyes followed the girl until she was safely inside.

The elder Weasley took a sip of the whiskey and casually asked, "So... _Kitten_ , huh?"

Fred turned to his brother, eyes wide with panic. “How’d you—”

Bill pointed to his ear. “Part wolf now, remember? All kinds of enhanced senses.”

Fred's face went white. “Oh, sweet Circe. _Please_ , Bill. If you value my life at _all_ , please, I _beg_ you, do NOT tell anyone about that. She'd kill me!”

Bill didn't even try to hide the smirk on his face. “Normally, as your older brother, I would be duty bound to use this information to make your life a living hell." 

He leaned back and stretched his legs out in front of him. "However, since the entire world seems to be heading in that general direction anyway and since we came damn close to losing one of our own tonight, I will instead promise to keep this information to myself. For the time being, at least.”

Fred sighed in relief. “Thanks, brother. I owe you one.”

Bill took another drink before handing the flask back to Fred. “Damn straight, you do.”

Just then Ginny called out to inform Fred that he was allowed to come back and sit with George. On the way inside, he ran into Ron and Harry. 

He pulled the duo into the nearest broom closet and snarled, "Listen you two. Listen and listen good. George and I don’t know the details of what you're planning and we don’t really care. All we care about is Hermione. So no matter _where_ you go or _what_ you do, you bring our girl back to us, you hear? You bring her back safe and sound or don’t bother coming back at all. Got it?”

Ron and Harry both swallowed hard and nodded solemnly.

"Good," Fred said, fixing them with a hard stare. "Because I promise you this. What you went through tonight will be _nothing_ compared to what I'll do to you if anything happens to her."  
 **  
FIVE DAYS LATER**

“You gonna keep staring like a nutter or are you going to ask the girl to dance?”

George handed his twin a glass of champagne as he tipped his head in the direction of Viktor Krum leading Hermione onto the dance floor at Bill and Fleur's wedding reception. 

“Big talk coming from a bloke that hasn’t taken his eyes off the bird in the yellow dress,” replied Fred, gesturing towards the sight of Luna Lovegood twirling happily by herself a few feet away.

“True,” nodded George. “But the difference is that _I’m_ going to do something about it.”

In one swift motion George downed his drink, set his glass on the table then jumped over a chair to sweep a giggling Luna off her feet and onto the dance floor.

Fred smiled, happy to see his brother acting a bit more like his old self. He knew George was secretly quite anxious about how people would behave around him after his injury but Luna's nonchalant reaction had done wonders for his self confidence. Rather than recoiling in disgust or pointedly ignoring the wound and avoiding the topic of his missing ear, she'd simply stared at him a moment then stated matter-of-factly that she thought the bandage gave him a 'dashing, devil-may-care look' before changing the subject to ask if the bride and groom had plans for any butter beer corks that might be left after the wedding.

Fred paused to admire the elaborate wedding decorations his family had worked so hard on. Hurricane Molly had kept everyone so busy over the past few days that none of them had enjoyed the luxury of a spare moment to themselves. Now that the service was over and the party had begun it was nice to be able to properly enjoy the fruits of their labor.

He nodded appreciatively before turning his attention back to Hermione, whose radiant smile seemed to outshine every light in the tent.

He felt a tug in his chest as she spun around the room in her new lilac dress robes, bought especially for the occasion. It had been Ginny that talked her into the purchase, insisting that tonight was the perfect opportunity to 'remind everyone that you are — in fact — a female'."

Fred didn't need reminding. As he watched the way the fairy lights and glow lanterns reflected in her dark hair and sparkling eyes he finally understood what people meant when they used the word 'breathtaking.' 

The song came to an end and as Viktor went to refresh their drinks, Fred took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and started across the dance floor. He'd made it about halfway when there was a sudden bolt of blinding white light and the figure of a large, silver Lynx materialized in the center of the tent.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as the authoritative voice of Kinsgley Shacklebolt pierced the air.

_"The Ministry has fallen. Minister Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."_

Fred tore his gaze from the patronus just long enough to lock eyes with Hermione as utter chaos erupted around them. He took another step in her direction but lost his footing when the partygoers on either side of him began fleeing in terror. 

He almost hit the floor but managed to steady himself at the last moment, however by the time he regained his balance and looked around, Hermione was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**March 1998**

_"Thanks for the update, Rapier. Once again, I'm River and that brings us to the end of another edition of Potterwatch. We're not sure when it will be possible to broadcast again, but I promise we'll be back, so keep tuning in to this frequency. Remember - the next password will be 'Prongs'. In the meantime, keep each other safe and keep the faith. Good night."_

Lee Jordan flicked the dial to the off position before swiftly charming the broadcasting equipment back into its carrying case. He made sure everything was ready then with a nod they'd vanished — Remus and Kingsley back to their individual safe houses and Fred, George and Lee to the twin's Aunt's place in Devon — ensuring that no trace of their illegal operation was left behind.

Once back at Muriel's, Lee sighed as he watched Fred and George retreat into their room. With the exception of meals and Potterwatch broadcasts, the boys rarely joined the others, preferring to fret and worry in solitude.

Fred in particular had struggled since Hermione disappeared alongside Ron and Harry during the bedlam that occurred at Bill and Fleur's reception almost seven months earlier.

The first few weeks hadn't been so bad, as the boys had managed to stay in touch with Hermione via the special boxes they'd used when the twins left school. The messages were by necessity short and cryptic enough to ensure the safety of all parties involved but it was better than nothing and at least it gave Fred the comfort of knowing she was alive.

Things had taken a turn, however, in early October when the messages abruptly ceased. Fred had been on the verge of a breakdown when word reached the family that Ron had suddenly arrived at Shell Cottage — alone.

The twins apparated there straightaway but the reunion soon disintegrated into a blazing row when Fred and George learned that not only had Ron abandoned Harry and Hermione on their quest but he had also inadvertently blasted apart the message box whilst trying to destroy something called a 'horcrux'.

Ron tried to explain how the item's dark powers and negative energy had clouded his mind and how he'd tried to return to the pair as soon as he'd left but Fred was having none of it. He ranted and cursed and shouted about promises and loyalty — even going so far as to call Ron a 'prat more self absorbed than Percy' — before storming out of the house, vowing to cut yet another brother out of his life for good.

The situation grew worse in December. First, George received word that Luna had been kidnapped off the Hogwarts Express while making her way home for holidays and was apparently being held in Azkaban in retaliation for her father's support of Harry in The Quibbler.

Then a few days after Christmas the Weasleys learned that Ron had disappeared yet again. They received no further updates until early spring when they heard through the grapevine that Harry, Ron and Hermione had been spotted making a narrow escape from Death Eaters at the Lovegood place. 

This information — as encouraging as it may have been — did little to soothe everyone's frayed nerves and the stress around the group intensified until it was thick enough to carve with a knife.

That late March evening, after returning from the broadcast, Lee hid the equipment in its usual spot before going to check on Fred and George. He'd just entered the room when a shaft of light burst through the window and swirled about wildly before taking the shape of a enormous wolf. Lee jumped, still not quite used to the change in Bill Weasley's patronus.

The creature shook its massive head then Bill's voice called out softly, "Not sure how safe this is but thought you ought to know that our household has just grown exponentially with the arrival of several stray animals, including one very badly injured kitten," he said, looking pointedly at Fred. "I believe it could benefit from some individual attention if anyone is available."

In a flash Fred and George were on their feet. While Lee wasn't entirely sure what the message meant, from the looks on their faces he was able to make a pretty good guess.

"Go," he urged them. "I'll let your parents know what's happened."

Before the words were out of his mouth the boys were gone. Seconds later they'd materialized on the beach outside Shell Cottage and were racing towards the house. Their brother met them at the door, barely jumping aside in time as they charged past in the direction he was indicating. 

The twins flew down the hall but came to a screeching halt when they entered the room and saw Hermione lying on the bed — eyes closed, face pale and gaunt, hair matted and dull, her breathing so shallow that for a split second they feared they’d arrived too late.

A moment later Fred was shoving Harry, Ron and Fleur out of the way so he could scoop Hermione into his arms. He let out an anguished cry when he lifted her and realized how desperately thin she was.

“Merlin’s Beard! Where’s the rest of her?” he demanded. He adjusted his hold on her and his gaze fell on the blood soaked bandages wrapped around her forearm. “What’s this? What happened here?”

A dark silence descended upon the room as Harry and Ron traded guilty looks. Finally Bill spoke from the doorway.

“That’s a little present from Bellatrix LeStrange.”

"Bellatrix?!" The word seemed to catch in Fred's throat. "What the hell are you talking about?! Why was she anywhere near that harpy?! What did you get her into?!!"

Bill began relating the story as best he knew it, with occasional input from Ron and Harry. By the time they'd reached the part about Hermione being tortured at the Manor Fred was incandescent with rage. 

“Why didn’t you _do_ something?!” he snarled at Harry and Ron. “You promised you’d keep her safe! You _promised_!”

"We tried, Fred. Honestly," pleaded Harry. "Hell, Ron even offered to switch places with her but they threw us in the cellars with Ollivander and Luna and…"

George snapped to attention. "Luna?! We were told she was taken to Azkaban months ago."

Ron shook his head. "No, mate. After the Death Eater’s grabbed her off the train they brought her to the Malfoy place. She’d been chained up in their basement with Ollivander until Dobby rescued all of us this morning."

George grabbed his brother's arm. "Luna’s here?! Where is she?!"

Bill gestured down the hall. "She’s in cousin Agatha’s old room. Fleur’s given her a sleeping draught as well. Dean Thomas and Griphook are in there keeping an eye on her and the old man."

George looked at Fred who nodded and said, “It's okay. Go.”

George hurried from the room, followed by Fleur, Harry and Ron. After everyone else had left, Bill pulled a seat next to the bed and watched as Fred ran his hand gently over Hermione's cheek.

"Sleeping draught. Is-is that why she's so still?"

"Yeah. She was in a lot of pain when they got here, Fred. We weren’t sure how many times she’d been hit, not to mention the blood loss," he said, pointing towards her arm. "It would have been a lot for someone in good condition to withstand. For a person in the shape she was in — obviously exhausted and undernourished — well, to be honest, I got scared. That’s why I took the risk of contacting you the way I did. I was afraid if something happened…”

“You did the right thing. Thank you.” Fred pulled her even closer then asked in a small voice, "Bill? I-Is she going to be okay?"

Bill laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I don't know, Freddie. But I _can_ tell you that Fleur's one hell of a healer and she's doing everything in her power for Hermione, I promise."

A few minutes later Fleur returned and ejected Bill and Fred from the room, announcing that she was going use the en-suite to give Hermione and Luna baths before providing both with a clean change of clothes.

"Zey cannot begin to 'eal properly if all zey can smell is ze stench associated with zeir trauma," she stated firmly.

As the twins paced and waited in the hallway, George shared what additional information he'd managed to glean from Dean and Ollivander about what happened at the Manor.

He clenched his fists as he related some of the horrors Luna had faced over the past three months. When he finished he kicked a hole in the wall opposite them, then spoke in a voice so low that Fred had to struggle to hear him.

“I'm going to find them, Freddie.” 

He lifted his head and there was a look in his eyes that Fred had never seen before. In a cold, merciless tone he continued, “I'm going to _find_ them and I'm going to _kill_ each and every person that laid a hand on her.”

Fred gave a terse nod of understanding.

“Fine. You do that. As a matter of fact, you can have all of them...” Fred’s eyes narrowed as he growled, “All except Bellatrix LeStrange. She’s _mine_.”

xoxox

A half an hour later Fleur finally allowed the boys back inside. While George carried a sleeping Luna back to her room, Fred began adjusting Hermione's blankets. He went to move her arm then stopped and looked at Fleur in confusion.

"Why's the bandage still here? I thought Bill said you were healing her?"

"Beel did not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Fleur studied Fred as if trying to reach a conclusion about him. He was beginning to squirm under the scrutiny when she appeared to come to a decision.

"Normally I would leave zis sort of to zing to ze patient but I believe et will be easier for both of you if you see et ze first time while she es sleeping."

The willowy blond carefully unwound the wrapping to reveal a deep gash carved into Hermione's skin. It took a moment for it to register with Fred that it wasn't simply a jagged cut. It was a word.

_Mudblood_.

Fred's entire body began to quake with a barely contained fury.

" _That bitch_ ," he snarled.

Fleur silently wound the gauze back in place then sat next to Fred and fixed him with a resolute stare.

"You understand zis 'as been done with Dark Magic, yes? Zat et cannot be 'ealed? Ever?"

Fred swallowed hard and nodded.

"Does zis change 'ow you see 'er?" Fleur demanded.

Fred looked bewildered. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Does zis make 'er less beautiful to you? Less desirable? You must look me in ze eyes and tell me ze truth."

"Of course not! How could you even — "

Fleur held up a hand. "Zat is all I need to know."

She leaned forward and spoke in a soft but fierce tone. "Listen to me, Fredrick. When 'ermione decides to show you zis 'erself, you must make _sure_ zat she knows zis. Tell 'er she es beautiful. Tell 'er that you still see 'er the same way. She may not believe you at first. It may be something she struggles with, possibly for a long time. Much like Georgie, tu comprends?"

Fred nodded.

"Good." Fleur rose and started towards the door. "I placed more of ze draught in 'er bath. She should sleep til morning. Be aware zat she may be very disoriented when she awakes. Zat is to be expected under ze circumstances."

Before she left, Fred quietly called out, "Fleur? Thank you. Thank you very much."

His sister in law smiled warmly. "You are most welcome, Fredrick. You are a good man. She is a remarkable woman. You are both very lucky."

After she'd pulled the door shut behind her, Fred curled up on top of the duvet. He took Hermione in his arms, buried his face in her hair and finally allowed the tears he'd been holding back for so many months to flow freely.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**The Same Night - A Few Hours Later**

A little before dawn the door to Hermione's room slowly swung open and a blond head peeked inside.

"Hello, Luna," whispered Fred as he propped himself up on one elbow, taking care not to disturb Hermione in the process.

"Hello, Fred. Don't get up. I didn't mean to bother you. I needed to visit the loo and George and the others were still asleep so I decided to check and see how Hermione was doing."

"She hasn't woken up yet. How are you feeling?"

"Much better now, thank you."

She stepped nearer and gazed at her sleeping friend.

"She was incredibly brave, you know. She never broke. Never gave them the information they wanted, no matter what they did to her. It was most impressive." As she spoke, Fred noticed how she absent mindedly pulled her dressing gown tight around her. "Especially when you realize how...persistent Bellatrix can be."

Fred's heart ached at the thought of what this sweet little witch must have gone through over the past three months. "I-I’m so sorry, Luna."

Luna smiled softly in response then turned to leave. Fred wanted to say something else but wasn't sure how to word it without betraying his twin’s confidence. He settled on, “Luna? George…He – he was really worried about you. He missed you…a lot.”

The look in her eyes gave him reason to believe that she understood what he was trying to say. 

"Thank you, Fred. I missed him a lot as well."

xoxoxo

Fred was still cradling Hermione a couple of hours later when she began twitching and flinching then suddenly she shot up into a sitting position, gasping for air as if she'd been deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time.

Her eyes darted wildly around the room as her arms thrashed about and she began shouting incoherently. Fred managed to gently subdue her, pulling her close while repeating soothing assurances. 

A moment later Fleur burst in. When she realized what was happening she ordered everyone else to wait outside whilst signaling to Fred that she was going to prepare another draught.

Fred rocked Hermione while gently rubbing her back in an effort to calm her.

"Shhh...It's okay, love. It's okay. You're safe. I promise. I promise."

He continued to sway back and forth until he gradually felt her breathing begin to slow. He thought she was improving until she looked up at his face and let out a heart wrenching sob.

"Oh, Fred! No! Not you! Please! _Please_! Not you!"

Fred brushed the hair from her eyes as his brow furrowed in confusion. 

"Hey...Hush, now...Come on. Calm down. Everything's alright, Kitten. You're safe. I promise."

Her voice broke as her trembling hand reached up to stroke his cheek. 

"When...when did you die, Fred?"

He laid his hand on top of hers. "I’m not dead, love. I'm right here. Perfectly fine, see?"

Hermione shook her head sadly. "No. You’re with me so that means you're dead."

"What are you talking about, Kitten?"

Hermione closed her eyes, her body shaking, her words coming in ragged bursts. 

"We were in the woods for such a long time with that b-bloody horcrux. C-cold...scared...hungry. Then there were S-Snatchers...and D-Death Eaters. Then we were at the M-Manor. With B-Bellatrix…and c-crucios…and a kn-knife….and b-blood…and p-pain….so much p-pain...then…then..."

She took a deep breath then exhaled slowly.

"Then everything went dark. Now you’re here. So that means I died."

Fred fought back tears as he ran his fingers through her hair. "How do you reckon?"

"Harry said Luna told him that after you die you get to be with the people you love the most. And you’re here..." She rested her head against his chest and repeated weakly, "…you’re here."

Just then Fleur arrived with the draught. Fred took the cup from her and raised it to Hermione's lips while mouthing "George" to his sister-in-law. She fetched his twin and the pair spent the next few minutes trying to convince Hermione that they were all still very much alive.

Soon the sedative started taking effect and Hermione's eyelids began to flutter. She nuzzled close to Fred and murmured drowsily, “Whatever. Either way, it’s okay.”

"What do you mean, love?" asked Fred.

"I mean I don’t care if I’m alive or dead. We're together now and that’s all that matters."

Fred pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered, "You’re right, Kitten. That’s all that matters. Now you go back to sleep and I'll be right here when you wake up."

xoxox

The next few days were spent trying to rebuild Hermione's physical and emotional strength. Fred was by her side every step of the way — holding her, feeding her, reading to her, comforting her when the nightmares came.

Within a couple of days she felt well enough to sit up and feed herself. Soon after that she was able to get out of bed for short walks — first around the room, then around the house and then for short excursions along the beach.

She'd been there a little over a week when she and Fred made their way to a sand dune not far from the house. As Fred spread out a blanket and helped Hermione lower herself down, they spotted George and Luna in the distance, holding hands while walking back to the Cottage.

Hermione pulled her jacket around her, leaned against Fred and smiled.

"When did he figure it out?"

"When did who figure what out?" asked Fred, giving her arms a brisk rub for warmth.

"When did Georgie finally admit to himself that he was in love with Luna?"

"Ah — that," said Fred. "Noticed that, did you?"

Hermione chuckled. "Everyone did — except George apparently. I had my suspicions ages ago but as soon as I saw his patronus I knew for sure."

"His patronus?"

"Yes. Didn't you notice? The owl, being nocturnal, is the bird most closely associated with the Moon. Seeing how Luna's name literally translates 'of the Moon' it wasn't that difficult to make the connection. Add in how protective he is of her and the image of a bird flying overhead to keep an eye on a hare isn't that far of a stretch."

Fred tapped the end of her nose lightly with his finger. "Well spotted, clever girl."

"I try," said Hermione, snuggling against his chest. "So, when did the penny finally drop for him?"

"At the wedding, I think." Fred hesitated then added, "Just about the time I realized I was in love with you, I suppose."

For what seemed like an eternity all Fred could hear in reply was the roar of the waves, the sound of the seabirds and the pounding of his own heart.

He felt Hermione tense up before she whispered, "That’s not funny, Fred."

"Then it’s a damn good thing I’m not joking."

He gently turned face towards him.

"I love you, Hermione. As a matter of fact, I’ve loved you for a very long time now. Not sure when it started, really..."

He stared out at the ocean. 

"George says he sussed it out as far back as the Yule Ball but I don't think it really hit me until we almost lost Georgie and I realized I was just as scared of losing you as I was him. I almost said something that night outside the Burrow but I thought it wasn't the right time. Then Mum had us all so wrapped up in wedding preparations that we never had a moment by ourselves." 

He shook his head and chuckled before turning serious again. "But it was when I saw you dancing with Krum at the wedding that I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I’d just worked up the nerve to tell you and I'd started across the dance floor when—."

"— When the world fell apart," she said.

Fred nodded. "I was a wreck after that. Kept replaying that moment over and over in my mind, wondering what would have happened if I’d only approached you five minutes earlier. Got so bad that I convinced myself that I’d seen you try and say something to me before you disappeared. That I’d seen you—"

"— Mouth the words 'I Love You' before the crowd knocked you down?"

Fred looked at her in surprise. "Yeah. How’d you know that?"

"Because you didn’t imagine it. I thought I might never see you again and I wanted you to know how I felt in case…."

A tear made its way down Hermione's face. "I thought about telling you in one of our notes but I was afraid if you didn't feel the same way it would be awkward and you'd stop writing or you'd just pretend you felt something that you didn't so you wouldn't hurt my feelings and I..."

Fred wiped the tear from her cheek. "What are you trying to say, Kitten?"

Hermione wound her hands around his neck and pulled his face towards hers. "I’m saying that I love you too, Fred."

Her lips slowly skimmed over his as his brain struggled to comprehend what was happening. The realization that he wasn't dreaming caused such a profound feeling of joy to bubble up inside him that he wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or cry. 

He ended up doing both as he dug his hands into her hair and kissed her back — tenderly at first then with a passion so intense that the world around him spun with such force that he was grateful they were already sitting on the ground. When she deepened the kiss the taste of her threatened to overwhelm all his senses and their magic intertwined with a fervor that left them both dizzy. 

When they finally broke apart, she gasped, "Fred?"

"Yes, love?" he replied as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Is this really happening or am I still under Fleur's sleeping draught?"

Fred kissed her lightly. "It's real. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," he smiled. "You know...for such a bright and insightful witch, you missed a pretty big clue about how I felt about you."

"What clue?"

" _My_ patronus."

Hermione scrunched her face in confusion. "Sorry?"

"Do you recall the first camping trip your parents ever took us on? The one near the Cairngorms in Scotland?"

Hermione nodded although it was obvious she was missing the connection.

"Remember, how excited you were to see the otters playing in the river?"

"Yes..."

"What else did your Dad point out to us, flying overhead?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "An osprey."

"Yep. At first I thought it appeared as my patronus because of the fond memories I had of that trip but after you disappeared I realized it was because I'd seen your patronus first. So instead of a weasel or a pine marten — both similar to otters — my mind conjured a bird that I associated with them. A bird strong enough and fast enough to intercept any predator that might threaten the otter." His voice cracked. "Unfortunately, that part didn't work out, but — "

Before he could finish, Hermione grabbed the front of his jumper and pulled him towards her, crashing her lips against his, snogging him as if her very life depended on it.

When they eventually parted for air, Fred whispered, "Wow. What was that for?"

"For being kind, caring and wonderful. Because I love you."

Fred grinned. "Okay. I'll accept that but what have I told you about feeding my ego, Kitten?"

"I'll take my chances." Hermione lovingly caressed his cheek. "Fred...do you remember the daydream charm you gave me when you opened the shop?"

"Of course."

"You know how I promised you'd be the first to know if it came true?"

"Yes?"

Hermione moved her hand behind his neck, her eyes shining as she brought his lips back towards hers once again.

"It just did."

xoxox

On the back porch of the cottage, Luna plucked a pair of Super OptiScopes from George's hand.

"That's enough of that. They deserve their privacy."

George gave a mock pout as he reluctantly relented. "All right. If you insist."

Luna placed the magical binoculars on the table then cast a concealment charm in Fred and Hermione's direction for good measure. She gazed at a flock of kittiwakes in the distance and asked, "So, when did Fred finally admit to himself he was in love with her?"

"At the wedding." George shifted his feet before draping his arm tentatively around her. "Just about the time I realized I was in love with you, I suppose."

Luna smiled as she placed her hands on his shoulders and raised herself up on her toes to press her lips against his.

"Oh, good. I was beginning to think you’d never figure it out."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

When Fred and Hermione came back inside, Fred insisted she go back to her room and rest while he fixed a pot of tea. He entered the kitchen to find Bill leaning against the counter, a smug look plastered across his face.

"So, is everyone official now? You and Granger? George and Loony Lovegood?"

Fred gave his brother a look as he summoned the kettle. "Yes...although if you’d like your face to remain in its current configuration I’d advise you never let Georgie hear you call her that."

"Sorry. Force of habit. No offense intended. You know, I've actually grown quite fond of that little witch in the short time she's been here. If there were more people like her around, the world would be a much better place. I don't think there's a malicious bone in that girl's body," said Bill as he handed Fred the jar of tea leaves. "As a matter of fact, if you ask me, I think _both_ you boys are punching above your weight in the romance department."

"Oh, like _you_ somehow deserved an exotic, part Veela super healer?" Fred teased.

"Touché," said Bill, lifting his mug towards his brother. "Dad always said that Weasley men had been mysteriously gifted with the ability to convince remarkable people to accept us as partners. It would seem he was correct."

Fred glanced out the window as Ron and Harry walked past. 

"Not _all_ Weasley men," snarked Fred.

"Oh, give him time," Bill chuckled. "He just needs to grow up a bit and pull his head out of his arse. Same with Percy."

"And Charlie?" asked Fred.

Bill shrugged. "If Charlie boy ever finds someone that excites as much as dragons do then I'm sure he'll sweep them off their feet with that whole 'strong, silent type' thing he's got going on."

Fred loaded the tea tray and began levitating it down the hall. "Well, whatever it is, I hope no one finds a cure for it. I almost lost Hermione once. I don't plan on letting that happen ever again."

**

After tea Hermione asked Fred to call George in and at her request the boys pulled up chairs at her bedside. Hermione regarded them carefully for a moment then said, "I need you two to do me a favor."

"Anything," said Fred.

"Name it," said George.

"I want you to bury the hatchet with Ron."

Fred folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Fine by me. Which part of his thick skull do you want us to bury it in?"

Hermione gave him a stern look. "Fred. I'm serious."

Out of habit Fred responded, "No, you're not. Sirius was much taller."

Before he could prepare himself, Hermione winged a pillow at him, knocking him to the floor. He scrambled back into his seat as she calmly stated, "That was a warning shot. Next time I use my wand. Get it?"

The twins both sat up straight and replied in unison, "Got it."

"Good. Now, as I was saying — you need to make peace with your brother."

"Why?" Fred and George asked simultaneously.

"Because you're family. Because the war with You-Know-Who is only getting started and we all need to work together as effectively as possible. Because things are going to get worse before they get better and you don't want to live with regrets." 

Seeing that these arguments were failing to gain traction she decided to play the ace up her sleeve.

"Because I'm asking you to."

The boys slouched in exasperation.

" _Please_?" she implored

Fred leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I - I don't know if I can, Kitten. It was bad enough that those guys let you get hurt but Ron _abandoned_ you and — "

"First off, no one _let_ anything happen to me, Fred," Hermione cut in firmly. "We were hopelessly outnumbered and if it hadn't been for Dobby we would have all been killed — or worse."

Her mind flashed back to Greyback's vivid threats and she took a second to regain her composure before continuing.

"And Ron's leaving wasn't entirely his fault. You weren't around that awful necklace. It was _evil_. It had this vile, dark aura that...seeped into your mind. Preyed on your insecurities. Intensified all your worst qualities. In Ronald's case it was his anger and long held feelings of inadequacy. It got into his head and twisted his thoughts around 'til he couldn't reason properly."

"You and Harry did okay," argued George.

"Oh, it affected us as well, believe me. It continually targeted Harry's guilt complex. Made him think everything that was happening was his fault — that every death we got word of was his personal responsibility. Tried to get him to give up, chuck it all and run away."

"And you?" Fred asked, reaching for her hand.

"Me?" Hermione fixed her eyes on a crack in the wall opposite her. "It kept telling me that I was a failure for not having devised a plan yet. That my lack of cleverness was costing innocent lives by the day. That I'd always be the odd one out. That I'd never fit in. Never measure up in a society that valued blood status above all else. Never be truly accepted — or loved. That I was nothing more than a filthy mudblood that no self respecting wizard would ever care for."

In one swift motion Fred moved from the chair to the bed and folded Hermione into his arms, whispering fiercely, "You knew those were all lies, didn't you? Every word of it. _Please_ tell me you knew that."

"I kept trying to tell the voice to sod off," she sighed. "But when you're hearing repeated it in your head — over and over and over for weeks on end..."

She looked from Fred to George and back. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is you can't judge your brother too harshly for what he did. It could have been any one of us that cracked under the pressure. It just so happened to be Ronald."

"Besides," she went on, "He acquitted himself most admirably when he _did_ come back. He rescued Harry from drowning, destroyed the damned locket, helped me get Harry back on track and even offered to take my place when Bellatrix decided to...interrogate me."

She squeezed Fred's fingers. "You can both be proud of him. He's a good person that made a mistake. That's all. So, please....make peace already, would you?"

"For you, Kitten?" Fred brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I'd shake hands with old Moldywarts himself."

Hermione pulled a face. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." 

She looked at George. "What about you, Georgie?"

"I'm with Fred. If it's important to you then it's important to us." He paused then added, "I take it we aren't going to be allowed to smack ickle Ronnikins or jinx him at all during this process?"

"You most certainly may _not_ ," she said firmly.

Fred kicked George in the shins. "Had to say something, didn't you? Now we can't even plead ignorance." 

He saw the look on Hermione's face and batted his eyelashes at her. "Not that we'd ever do that, Kitten."

"Sweet Merlin, I must be soft for you," she snorted. "I almost believed that."

She held her arms open and motioned for a group hug before calling Bill in to join them.

A moment later the elder Weasley entered the room with a bow. "You rang, my lady?"

"Yes, thank you. I have a favor to ask. Fred and George are going _right now_ to mend fences with Ron. I'd like you to be present to act as a mediator. Make sure all parties involved keep cool heads about them."

"Me?" Bill looked aghast. "Merlin's beard, woman! I thought you liked me! What did I do to deserve this assignment?"

"You are the eldest family member present as well as being my third favorite Weasley."

"Damn," Bill sulked. "I'd hate to see what you have in mind for the least favorite."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Keep up this attitude and you might find out."

Bill raised his hands in surrender. "Fine! But I'm making them do this outside. I don't need to incur Fleur's wrath if they start acting up and make a mess in the parlor."

"Oh, they'll behave. They've promised. Haven't you?" She gave the twins an expectant look and they both stood and nodded obediently.

Bill barely stifled a laugh. "Sweet Circe! Have I ever told you how much I like you, Granger?"

Hermione smiled as she drew the duvet up to her chin and laid her head back on the pillow. "I can't remember if you have or not. You can stop by after my nap and tell me again if you'd like."

"Will do," Bill winked then turned to his brothers and barked, "All right, lads. You heard the lady. March!"

George started out of the room but Fred lingered a moment to make sure Hermione was comfortable.

He kissed her softly and asked, "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Hermione closed her eyes. "I think so but feel free to tell me more about it later on."

"Oh, you're going to hear about it. Every hour of every day for a very, very long time. Think you can handle that?"

She yawned contentedly, "I'll give it my best shot."

"Oi! Come on, Freddie," said Bill. "Let the girl rest. Go make nice with Ronnie and give her one less thing to worry about, why don't you?"

"Alright! Alright!" Fred got to the door and waved. "I'll be back soon, love."

Hermione snuggled into the blankets and nodded. "I'll be right here..."

xoxoxo

Fred, George and Ron eventually managed to set things to right between them with only a few raised voices and a minimum of bloodshed. They even worked together to repair the vase they accidentally broke before Fleur learned of the incident.

After that, the group fell into what passed for a somewhat normal routine under the circumstances, until a few days later when Fred walked into the parlor to find Harry, Ron and Hermione in the midst of an intense, hushed discussion. 

"I'm sorry, Harry, but that's my final word on the subject." Hermione stood as Fred entered the room. "I'm going upstairs now. We'll meet with everyone tomorrow after breakfast."

Harry muttered his reply and while Fred couldn't make out the exact words it was clear that Potter wasn't thrilled with how the conversation had gone.

Fred remained quiet until he and Hermione were curled up together in her room, then he asked, "May I inquire what were you and the Chosen One arguing about?"

Hermione sighed. "Harry wants to keep Dumbledore's plans just between he, myself and Ronald. I think it's time to include everyone."

"And?"

"And I won. Tomorrow morning we're getting everyone in the cottage together and laying it all out in the open. I'm tired of secrets. Keeping them hasn't done any of us a damn bit of good. Time to try something else."

"Good for you. I think that's a very sensible plan." Fred paused then added, "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course."

"Keep in mind that I'll understand, no matter what the answer is but I need to ask so I can stop wondering." He fidgeted slightly then asked, "While you and Harry were out there — alone —did you and he ever..."

"No. Never," she assured him. "I don't harbor those kind of feelings for him at all. Besides, even on his worst days, Harry Potter remains hopelessly and utterly devoted to your sister. I could've danced naked in front of the man and he would have just kept staring at the map of the school you gave me and asking if I thought Ginny was going to leave him for Neville."

Fred squirmed awkwardly. "While I appreciate your honesty, I really wish you would've used a different visual there, love."

Hermione giggled. "Sorry. I was just trying to make a point."

"Oh, a point was definitely made."

They both burst into laughter then he kissed the top of her head. They lay resting in contented silence until she whispered, "Fred? I-I need to show you something."

She reached for the bandage on her arm but Fred stopped her by taking her hand in his.

"I've already seen it, love. I saw it when I first arrived, while you were still unconscious."

He felt her breathing hitch and he tipped her face up to look at him.

"I saw it and it doesn't matter." Seeing the look in her eyes he clarified. "I mean, of course it matters that it _happened_. I mean that it doesn't change how I look at you. Not one bit. If anything, it may even make me love you even more."

"But it can't ever be removed..."

"It's just a word, Hermione. And like any word it only carries the power that you give it."

"But, it's horrid and repulsive..." she started.

He pressed his finger lightly against her lips. "While I certainly object to the use of that word and I know what that banshee's intention was when she carved it into your skin, at the end of the day that scar is now a part of you and nothing that's a part of you could ever be repulsive. Not to me. Not ever."

"But..."

"But nothing." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Answer me this. If it had been me instead of George that lost an ear that night, would it have made a difference to you? Would you have found me repulsive? Shunned me because I had a scar that I'd carry for life?"

"No!"

He kissed her tenderly. "Then why can't you believe the same about me? Why can't you believe that I still find you the most amazing, beautiful, beguiling, sexy witch that I've ever laid eyes on or ever will?"

Tears shimmered in her eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do." He kissed her again, slower and deeper this time. "Trust me, if I thought you were fully recovered physically and we weren't in a house full of nosy busybodies, I would show you _exactly_ how desirable I find you, Hermione Granger."

They snogged until Fred pulled back with a soft groan. He held her close and murmured, "But I can promise you one thing, Kitten. When this is all over I'm going to find us a remote little cottage where we can hide away in a cozy room — just the two of us — with nothing but a soft bed, a pile of blankets and a warm fire. Deal?”

"Deal," Hermione smiled. "Although I must say it sounds like you've had that planned for a while, Fred Weasley."

"You weren't the only one having daydreams, love."

"Do you think it can ever happen?"

"I know it will. Like you said, tomorrow morning we'll get everyone together and start utilizing all our brain power to end this bloody war once and for all."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The next morning all the occupants of Shell Cottage gathered in the parlor. Even the elderly Mister Ollivander joined them, helped to his chair by Dean Thomas and Griphook.

The goblin, who was leery of everyone when he first arrived, had been grudgingly impressed with how he'd been treated by the others — from Fleur's kindness while healing his wounds to Luna's insistence on calling him 'sir' to the respect he'd observed from everyone during the funeral and burial of the poor house elf, Dobby. 

However it had been Ollivander that had ultimately swayed Griphook's allegiance to their side. The old man's willingness to share his knowledge of wandlore with a goblin — a practice previously unheard of in the wizarding world — is what convinced Griphook that the group was sincere when they said they wanted a better world for _all_ of Britain's magical inhabitants.

Everyone sat and listened intently as Ron, Harry and Hermione laid out the information they had acquired, starting with what they'd learned about the original creation of the horcruxes all the way through their months long search for the remaining items.

Finally Hermione looked around the room. "And that's all we know. I wish we had more time for research and investigation but it looks like we'll have to move soon — very soon."

"Why?" asked Dean.

Hermione glanced at Harry, who looked tired and care worn. "Harry is sure that You-Know-Who has figured out our plan to find the horcruxes, so we need to act fast before he finds a way to keep them from us. He can feel every time one gets destroyed. The more we eliminate, the more vulnerable he becomes. He won't just let that happen without a fight."

"Why didn't you share this with us from the start, Harry?" asked George.

The boy shrugged. "Because it wasn't part of Dumbledore's plan."

Fred crossed his arms. "Yeah? Well, sorry mate but I say sod Dumbledore and his bloody plans. We've all seen where they got him. I think from now on we do this our way."

Bill, who'd been taking extensive notes the whole time, passed his parchment over to Griphook and gestured towards the list of horcruxes that had already been identified.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Griphook nodded, "Bellatrix was out of her mind at the Manor thinking the girl had the sword. I finally managed to convince her it was a fake. If she doesn't know about the switch it can definitely work in our favor."

"Sorry," interrupted Harry. "What switch? What are you talking about?"

"Before I went on the run, Bellatrix deposited what she _thought_ was the Sword of Gryffindor in her vault," explained Griphook. "Except it wasn't the real sword. It was a copy."

"How could you tell?" asked Dean.

"A goblin can spot a _true_ goblin made weapon from thirty paces," Griphook sniffed. "It was a good copy, I grant you, but a copy nonetheless."

"Where'd it come from?" asked Harry.

"I don't know but I wasn't about to tell that arrogant, condescending witch that the object she prized so highly was a forgery," the goblin snarled. "However, I _can_ tell you that a genuine cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff is in the LeStrange vault as well."

"So if Hermione is correct in her assumption that the other items you're looking for are tied to the founders..." said Bill. "That means we need to get in there and retrieve it while Bellatrix assumes her vault is still secure."

Fred sat forward in his chair. "Is that something the two of you can help us with?"

Bill and Griphook nodded. 

"We know every inch of that place," said Bill. "As the senior curse breaker I not only had complete access to the facility, I also helped establish some of the security protocols. Griphook here was not only my boss but also upper level management. He knows things about that building that no one else has any idea about."

"Excellent," said Fred. "So, Slytherin's locket has been destroyed and we know where to find Hufflepuff's cup...."

He turned to Luna. "Lu? What do you think? Anything belonging to Ravenclaw that might fit the bill?"

Luna thought carefully. "My best guess would be Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

"Excuse me? What's a diadem?" asked Ron.

"Et es like a tiara or a _petit_ crown. Like the one I wore on my wedding day," said Fleur.

"That's great," said Fred "But if it's _lost_ it's not doing us much good."

"You're right, of course," said Luna, "That is, unless you know the person that hid it in the first place."

"And that would be...?" asked Harry.

"The ghost of Ravenclaw house. Helena Ravenclaw. The Grey Lady," answered Luna. "She and I became good friends my first year at school. I didn't have many people to talk to and neither did she."

George pulled her close as Luna laid her head on his shoulder. "She and the other ghosts were lovely but I think it's much nicer to have friends I can touch now."

"We think so too, Luna." Fred smiled at the girl before taking a deep breath. "Okay. That's Ravenclaw taken care of. Anything else?"

He noticed a quick glance pass between Harry and Ron before Harry said, "The snake. Not sure how she became a horcrux but she definitely is one."

At this, the frail Mister Ollivander finally spoke. "That's why You-Know-Who keeps the creature so close," he said in a small, frightened voice. "She'll be the most dangerous one to destroy, you know, because she can fight back. Someone would need to be right next to... _him_ to finish her off. And she moves fast....very fast..."

Luna reached over and patted the old man's quivering hand. "It's all right, Garrick. You're safe here, remember?"

The elderly wandmaker gave a feeble nod as Dean said, "I think I ought to take him back to his room, don't you?"

Everyone nodded their agreement. As the young man helped Ollivander from the parlor, Fred addressed the group again.

"Right. Now we have a bloody snake in the mix. So, providing we can get close enough to any of these things — how do we actually destroy them?"

"The only thing we know works for certain is Basilisk venom," said Hermione. "It destroyed the diary, the ring and the locket."

"I thought you said the sword destroyed the ring and the locket?" said George.

"It did, but only after Harry killed the basilisk with it," said Hermione. "Being goblin made it was able to not only withstand the venom but _absorb_ it, meaning it's now imbued with the same powers as the venom itself."

"Do you think ANY goblin made sword would react in a similar manner if it were coated in basilisk venom?" asked Bill.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't see why not. The only magic accorded to Godric's sword was the promise to appear to any 'worthy Gryffindor'. Nothing else really special about it other than being an incredibly well made weapon."

"Then I think we can help you out there as well," said Griphook. "There's a cache of goblin swords inside Gringott's. If you'd be willing to swear an oath that they'd be returned once we've defeated You-Know-Who then I would be willing to temporarily 'liberate' a few."

"Sorry," asked Harry. "Don't mean to be thick but how will that help us?"

"If we can dip a bunch of swords in basilisk venom that's more of us with the power to destroy any horcruxes we find - including the snake, " said Bill. "Gives us a way to improve our odds, instead of putting all our eggs in one basket, so to speak."

"That's great," said Fred. "But I think we're missing the larger question. Where do we find a stash of basilisk venom? It's not the sort of thing you pop off to buy at the corner shop."

"If I could get back into the school, I could get us some. I'm certain there were a couple of fangs left in the chamber after we destroyed the diary," said Ron.

"Okay, but it sounds like we'll need more than that for this plan to work," said George.

"Are zere any other basilisks zat we know of?" asked Fleur.

"No. Other than the one under the school there hasn't been a basilisk spotted in Britain in over four hundred years." Hermione shook her head. "I'm guessing more venom would be impossible to come by."

"Under normal circumstances you'd be right, Hermione, but —" said Luna.

The entire room turned to look at the little blond.

"While it's true basilisks haven't been seen in _this_ country for centuries, Daddy and I encountered them when we were in Europe looking for Snorkacks a few years ago," she said. "We'd heard rumors there might be some in the areas where we'd be camping, so before we left I asked Dumbledore if he'd be kind enough to allow me to collect some of Fawkes' tears in case of an emergency and he very graciously agreed."

The girl glanced at George who nodded his encouragement. "Thankfully, we avoided that scenario but we did come across a rather grisly scene while we were in Switzerland. A couple of poachers had apparently hunted down a pair of Basilisks. They'd managed to blind and kill the creatures but the men were exposed to the venom during the fight and lost their own lives in the process. It was quite gruesome."

Luna shivered at the memory. "Anyway, Daddy is a big believer in never letting an opportunity go to waste. So, while we didn't find any Snorkacks on that trip we did manage to collect a rather large amount of basilisk venom to bring back with us."

"How on earth did you manage to do that without killing yourselves in the process?" asked Ron.

Luna blinked twice then replied, "Very carefully."

It took great effort on everyone's part not to laugh at the expression on Ron's face as George beamed with pride at the witch by his side.

"Quite right, love," George said, "Where did you store the venom when you got home?"

Luna turned her large grey eyes towards Griphook. "The safest place we could think of. Our vault at Gringotts." She then frowned and sighed, "But I've lost my key and Daddy is in Azkaban..."

George leaned down and laid a kiss on her temple. "And as soon as we end this, we'll get him out, Lu. I promise. First thing."

Fred looked at Bill and Griphook. "Do you reckon you could access the Lovegood vault as well as LeStrange's?"

The goblin nodded. "All we'd need to know is exactly what to look for because once we get inside the bank there'll be no time to waste."

Fred stood, motioned to George and announced, "Right. That sounds like a start. Let's get to work, shall we?"

The twins then began planning the group's next moves with an almost military precision. They started by breaking everyone into teams, each with their own specific mission.

It was decided that George, Luna and Ron would go directly to Hogwarts. George would take the lead, guiding them through one of the hidden tunnels he and Fred knew by heart. Once inside, Ron would coordinate their movements with Neville via one of the boys' secret codes while Luna would confer with the Grey Lady in order to locate the diadem. After that the group would access the chamber and gather as many basilisk fangs as they could get their hands on.

At the same time, Bill and Griphook would smuggle Harry, Fred and Hermione into Gringott's through the underground passage used to secretly to bring in food for the dragon who, unbeknownst to almost everyone, served as yet another layer of protection for the vaults.

Dean would stay behind with Fleur to help care for Ollivander while they contacted the remaining members of the Order and the DA to inform them that the final fight was looming on the horizon.

After Bill's team successfully completed their tasks, Fred, Bill and Hermione would make their way to Hogwarts to destroy the cup and the diadem then wait for the Dark Lord's inevitable appearance, while Griphook would try and recruit as many goblins as possible to rally on their side.

Once the broad framework was in place, work began on ironing out the details. After a few hours, Fleur insisted they needed a break to eat and clear their heads before proceeding.

While Dean and Luna joined Fleur in the kitchen and Hermione went to see what reference books she might have that could be of use, Fred pulled Bill outside for a private conversation.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked. "You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The one that always makes me nervous. The one usually reserved for big favors, like providing you with an alibi to Mum and Dad. The 'I'm going to ask you something really important' look."

"I suppose that's because I _am_ going to ask you something really important. More than one thing, actually."

"Alright. Fire away."

"First — do you think we can trust Griphook?"

"Yes. I honestly think we can," said Bill. "He's leery of magic folk in general but he knows that if You-Know-Who wins that the goblins will suffer as much, if not more, than anyone else. He saw what they did to humans like Hermione and Luna and he's aware that Death Eaters consider goblins significantly lower on the food chain than people. He'll do whatever he can to keep his own kind from falling victim to that kind of fate."

"What about the promise he made to Luna and Hermione about the dragon?"

Bill nodded. "He'll honor his word, especially after I reminded him that the goblins still owe Hermione for informing them about Bagman's fake gold trick. It kept them from losing a substantial amount of money. They take that sort of thing very seriously. Her promise to call that debt even, along with you and George's offer to help develop new products to replace the security they'll lose when the dragon goes to live with Charlie will ensure he follows through."

Bill tipped his head and regarded Fred carefully. "But dragons and goblins aren't what has you worried, is it? What is it you really want to ask, little brother?"

Fred looked him directly in the eye. "Once this starts....once we enter that bank...If anything goes wrong, I need your word that your first priority will be keeping Hermione safe, got it?"

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You're forgetting that not only was I the bank's most successful curse breaker but I also served as Hogwart's Defense Against the Dark Arts tutor after graduation. I can do this."

"I don't care if you're bloody Merlin himself. I need to be sure that if for any reason _I_ can't protect Hermione that _you_ will. I need you to swear it. Understand?"

"Understood," Bill nodded then glanced through the window into the parlor where the other two Weasley brothers were deep in conversation. "You think George is extracting the same promise from Ron?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Ron will agree?"

"Of course he will," said Fred. "It's what brothers do."

xxx

After dinner Fred found Hermione on the beach. He summoned a blanket and draped it around her shoulders then they sat and looked at the stars until he asked, "So...any idea what secret Ron and Harry are trying so desperately to keep to themselves?"

"I'm not sure but I have a pretty strong suspicion."

"Care to share it with me?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I think Harry is the last horcrux."

"Wow..." Fred's eyebrows lifted slightly. "How do you reckon?"

"Think about it. Once You-Know-Who figured out the process of making a horcrux with the ring and the diary, he then took great pains to make sure he created one tied to each of the founders of Hogwarts. So why isn't there one from Godric?"

She turned to face him. "I'm sure the Dark Lord stole the sword and took it with him that night when he went to kill the Potters. He couldn't resist the symbolism — making the final horcrux by killing a family of Gryffindors in the village named for their house's founder. But his plan backfired. Harry didn't die and the bit of the Dark Lord's soul meant for the sword instead latched onto the only living thing in the room."

"The baby. The Boy Who Lived, poor git." Fred shook his head sadly. "Makes sense. Do you think Dumbledore knew all along?"

"I don't know how long he had the information but...yes. I'm certain he knew for the past few years, at least."

"The old bastard," growled Fred. "And he never did anything to..."

Fred stopped. His face went pale as he looked at Hermione. "You don't think...I mean...The rest of the Order....Did they... _do_ they know?"

"No. I don't think so," she said. "I can't envision any circumstance in which Sirius or Remus would have gone along with keeping that secret. Certainly not your parents. For whatever reason, Dumbledore kept the fact that Harry is a horcrux to himself."

"So, if Harry is a horcrux and all the horcruxes need to be destroyed to defeat You-Know-Who that would mean..."

Hermione nodded. "The prophecy does say, 'either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' " She picked up a small seashell and turned it over in her hand a couple of times before tossing in towards the water. "Of course, worded like that the stupid thing could have a dozen different interpretations."

Fred picked up a shell of his own and chucked it as well. "And that's exactly why I bloody well _hate_ prophecies. Can't just say anything plainly. Always just damn vague enough to scare you without actually being useful."

Seeing the look on her face he reached to comfort her. "Hey. He'll be okay. I'm sure of it. That kid has an absolutely infuriating way of surviving the most ridiculous predicaments."

"I'm ashamed to say it's not actually Harry that I'm most worried about."

"Who then?"

She averted her eyes. "I'm scared about you and Georgie being on different teams for this mission."

"Why?"

She began twisting a piece of hair with her finger. "What if something happens?"

"It won't," assured Fred, taking her hand in his. "But if - Merlin forbid - something did happen...it will be awful and we'd grieve for a very, very long time."

He pulled her into his arms. "Listen to me, Kitten. You're right. Georgie and I have a special bond because we're twins. Nothing will ever change that. But the last few years you've helped us to realize that we're _also_ separate and distinct human beings, capable of existing without being in each other's presence for more than an hour. And that's a good thing. Because - if we're being honest - the odds are that one day, one of us is going to have to learn how to survive without the other."

He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Once we realized just how serious this war was going to be Georgie and I had a long talk about that fact. I'm not going to lie and say we aren't terrified of the day that might happen but we're equally terrified about the idea of something happening to you or Luna. We've almost lost the pair of you once. We're not going to let that happen again."

He raised her face so she was looking at him. "The truth is that Georgie isn't going to let Luna out of his sight any time in the foreseeable future and the last time I entrusted your safety to someone else you almost died." 

He tapped his finger on the tip of her nose and gave her a wink in an effort to lighten the mood. 

"So...as I've told you before, you're stuck with me. Whether you like it or not."

She tugged the front of his shirt until his face was less than an inch from her own. 

"I like it," she whispered.

"So do I, " he said, kissing her gently before standing and reaching for her hand. "Now — let's get back to planning this operation. The quicker we take care of Moldywarts the quicker we get on with the rest of our lives and I've got a date planned with a gorgeous witch in a secluded little cottage that I'm quite keen on getting around to."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**May 1998**

Soon everything was in order and final preparations were underway. The night before they were to enact their plan, Hermione gathered the four Weasley brothers together and after much pleading, cajoling and arm twisting, she (along with Fleur and Luna) managed to persuade the boys to write letters to Percy.

"We don't know what may happen tomorrow," she said. "I understand that he hurt you and your family but at the end of the day he's your brother and you must tell him that. Let him know that even after all that's happened you'll still be there for him if he needs you. Perhaps hearing that will help him see the error of his ways. Perhaps not. Either way, your consciences will be clear."

After much grumbling and eye rolling the letters were eventually written and securely dispatched via a neighbor of Bill's who was sympathetic to their cause.

In the predawn hours of the following day the group gathered once again in the parlor of Shell Cottage. Amidst a flurry of hugs and promises, Mr. Ollivander made a special presentation of a newly made wand to the goblin Griphook.

"I give this to you," said the old man in a tremulous voice. "Not as a wizard to a goblin or even as a mentor to a protégé. I give this to you as a friend to a friend. I hope it brings you safety and good fortune and allows us to one day meet again."

Griphook accepted the item proudly and shook the elderly wandmaker's hand. "Thank you, kind sir. I give my word that I will use it in a manner that will bring honor to the one who crafted it."

As the parties prepared to leave, the twins embraced and Fred whispered, "Don't worry. Everything will be okay. We'll join up with you at the school before supper."

"You best," George replied. "Don't expect me to fight Ron in an effort to put aside a bunch of treacle tarts just for you."

They all shared a final good bye and then with a pop everyone was gone, leaving Dean and Fleur to help Mr. Ollivander back to his room and start contacting any possible reinforcements.

xoxoxo

Five hours later, everyone but Griphook reunited in the Room of Requirement inside Hogwarts.

"Made it with no problems, then?" asked George as he wrapped his twin in a bear hug.

"A couple of close calls," admitted Fred as he returned the embrace. "We got inside the bank just fine thanks to this one."

He winked at Luna who smiled in return. "The modifications she suggested to Hermione in regards to the sleep spell that Fleur tried on the dragon during the tournament worked like a charm. Made it to the Lovegood vault without a hitch using Harry's cloak where we were able to retrieve both the flask of phoenix tears and the venom."

"Brilliant idea your father had to store the venom in hollowed out basilisk's fangs," interjected Hermione. "I'd love to sit and talk with him about that one day. It seems I owe him an apology — or two."

"If this works then I think we all need to apologize to the old boy," agreed Bill. "After we got the stuff from Luna's we snuck into the armory and picked up a half dozen or so goblin blades before moving on to the LeStrange vault."

"Where we almost had our first major mishap," confessed Harry. "Good thing Griphook was the one who'd cast the security wards in there to begin with or we'd have set off the duplicating curse for sure. Even then I came dangerously close to buggering everything by nearly touching a pile of flasks with my arm by accident. Thankfully Bill grabbed me before that happened."

"That's okay. It's an easy mistake to make," said Bill. "Besides, it was you who spotted the cup before the rest of us so Fred and I could levitate the thing directly into Hermione's bag. We nestled it in next to the goblin swords to avoid triggering the spell."

Fred nodded, "Once that was done we left the same way we'd gone in. Had a near miss with the security patrol before we got back to the tunnel but we made it. On our way out we slipped the dragon a hiccoughing sweet then legged it out quick as we could before one of his toasty little snorts scorched the area behind us, thus making it will nigh impossible to detect that anyone had ever been there. At that point Griphook went to parlay with the goblins while the rest of us made our way to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest where we waited until we spotted the diversion you so helpfully provided. We then flew to the top of the Divination Tower on the brooms we'd tucked away in Hermione's bag where we met up with Seamus who lead us back here."

He smiled at his George and asked, "How've things gone on your end? Were the wards we left on the store's basement still in place?"

"Thankfully," he replied. "I apparated in just fine and was relieved to see that most of the tunnels we created were still intact, including the one leading into the Magical Menagerie's storeroom. We need to thank old man Hartley for letting us put that in."

Fred nodded his agreement as George continued his story. "I managed to nick a large cage full of half starved skipping rats and get back to our place to apparate out without being noticed." He glanced at Luna and added, "I've promised Lu that when this is all over and we've gotten her Dad out of Azkaban our next stop will be making sure the rest of the poor creatures abandoned in there are taken care of."

"The rats he took did look miserable," confirmed Ron. "They were more than happy to be released at various points along the perimeter of Hogsmeade. Set off dozens of the Death Eaters caterwauling alarms and distracted the nasty buggers long enough for us to make it inside Aberforth's place without being spotted."

"It's a good thing Ron was able to contact Nev via patronus last night," said Luna. "Otherwise we might have tried to use one of the other entrances which were being watched by members of the inquisitorial squad."

"Neville was waiting for us inside the Hogs Head and lead us here." George gestured around the Room of Requirement. "Once we got in, I contacted Peeves who persuaded Nearly Headless Nick, the Fat Friar and a few of the paintings to sound false alarms around the kitchens in order to lead the Carrows and their flunkies in the opposite direction of Ravenclaw tower. I used the map to get us there safely so Luna could chat with the Grey Lady."

"Was she able to provide the location of the diadem?" asked Harry.

"Oh, that she did," grinned George. "And you'll never guess where it was."

"Where?" asked Fred.

"You're standing there, mate," answered Ron. "It's been in here ever since it got turned into a bloody horcrux all those years ago."

He pointed towards a nearby table on which now sat a small, silver tiara with a brilliant blue sapphire adorning the front. 

"No way..." gasped Harry.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

Harry shook his head in amazement. "I've actually held this in my hands before."

"What? When did that happen?" cried Ron.

"Sixth year. I was hiding that stupid potions book and needed something to use as a landmark so I could find it again. I saw this old thing and placed it on the bust of that ugly old warlock over there to use as a signpost."

Fred looked at Hermione and muttered, "See? What'd I tell you? _Ridiculously_ lucky."

George nodded as he went back to his tale. "Anyway, once we'd learned the location of the diadem we used the map to avoid the inquisitorial squad and made our way to Moaning Myrtle."

"It was quite nice to see her again," said Luna. "She hasn't had much company lately so she was more than happy to act as our lookout while Ron opened the secret tunnel to the chamber."

Harry clapped Ron on the back. "See? Told you that you'd be able to remember the parseltongue."

"Well...I heard it often enough when we were in the tent. I hope Ginny gets used to how much you talk in your sleep," teased Ron.

"He did a great job, Harry. Don't let him tell you otherwise," said George. "Got us right inside so we could round up a half a dozen basilisk fangs before we snuck back here. By that time Neville, Seamus and Ernie were setting off a bunch of Whiz Bangs in the courtyard under the Owlery. That ensured everyone's attention would be diverted away from the Divination Tower during your arrival."

"We've also heard from several members of the Order and a bunch of former DA," added Luna. "They should be arriving soon, along with the remaining faculty."

" _Remaining_ faculty?" asked Fred.

Neville nodded. "As soon as I got word to McGonagall that Harry was on his way back here she gathered Flitwick, Sprout, Pomfrey and a bunch of others and staged a coup. Kicked Snape and the Carrows out on their sorry arses."

"Didn't even have put up much of a fight," chimed in Seamus. "As soon as Minnie and the others stood up to them they ran like scared rats."

"That's all well and good," said Hermione. "But it does now put us under even more of a time crunch."

"How so?" asked Seamus.

"Snape and the Carrows will have gone straight to You-Know-Who and alerted him to what's going on at the school. As soon as we destroy these horcruxes he'll have confirmation of where Harry is and what we're doing. It won't be long after that he'll be on our doorstep with his entire army at his side, so we ought to have at least some of our defenses in place before we proceed any further."

"Miss Granger is correct," intoned a voice with an imposing Scottish accent. The group turned to find Professor McGonagall standing alongside Professor Flitwick and Madame Sprout. "We have indeed set a countdown clock into motion."

"Professor! How good to see you!" exclaimed Fred.

"Thank you, Mister Weasley. It's very good to see you as well."

"How long do you think we have, Professor?" asked George.

"Only as long as it will take for him to marshal his forces," replied McGonagall.

"If it's true that he's recruited the vampires he'll probably wait until dusk," said Luna. "He'll want all of his resources on hand for this fight."

"Miss Lovegood is correct," said Professor Flitwick, hopping up on a chair to better address the group. "Kingsley warned us recently that the Dark Lord had brought the vampires on board along with the werewolves by making all sorts of promises about power and glory."

"Great," sighed Fred. "Bloody vampires. Right. Since they're already dead I'm guessing a killing curse won't help us. Other than garlic and wooden stakes what are our options there?"

Neville glanced at Madame Sprout. "This might sound crazy but...if a Lumos Solem spell can produce a flash of sunlight bright enough to subdue a patch of Devil's Snare, could it also have an lethal effect on vampires?"

The portly Herbology professor beamed. "I'm not sure about lethal, Mr. Longbottom but I'd be willing to wager that it will jolly well slow down the filthy buggers!" She turned to the twins. "I don't suppose you boys have any products with you that could automatically release a spell like that via a trip wire or something, do you?"

Fred and George looked at Hermione. "You wouldn't by any chance have any of our weather modifying stuff in that handy dandy carryall of yours?" asked Fred.

Hermione reached into her bag and started pulling out bottles of Sunny Spells. "How many do you need?"

"That's my girl!" Fred wrapped his arm proudly around her shoulders then addressed the his older brother. "Okay. That's vampires. Bill, what about the werewolves?"

Bill shook his head. "Not a full moon so we fight them just like everyone else."

"That's good," said Neville. "Who else might we be dealing with?"

"The last I heard from Hagrid, most of the giants will fight on You-Know-Who's side," said Harry.

"Wonderful. How do we deal with them?" asked George. "If I remember correctly, due to their size, most spells have very little effect on them."

"A conjunctivitis curse might work," said Professor Flitwick. "If they can't see what they're doing that would be something I suppose...."

From behind them a familiar voice spoke up. "If someone could fly past once they were blinded and shout insults at them we might be able to get them fighting each other."

Fred turned towards the speaker. "Yeah but even if that could work, who'd be foolhardy enough to..."

He stopped short when he realized the person making the suggestion was none other than his brother Percy, who was now standing alongside their parents and other members of the Order.

The errant Weasley tugged uncomfortably at his tie. "I...I've sat in on some meetings with the giants in the past. I know who's touchy about what. Pretty sure I can get them riled up with each other. I can't do much to make up for the hurt I've caused you all the past couple of years but...well..." He looked from Fred to George. "...the pair of you have always said I was a giant pain in the arse. Guess it's time for me to prove you right, isn't it?"

Fred and George stared in silence before simultaneously exploding in laughter. The next thing anyone knew the twins had pulled their brother into a big hug as Fred cried, "Excellent try at a joke, Perc!"

"Yeah!" added George. "Can't remember the last time you attempted humor! Not bad, old boy!"

When they finally stepped back, their brother was wiping tears from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, guys! I was a fool! I was an idiot! I was a pompous prat! I — I was a...a..."

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron?" Fred prompted.

"Yes!" Percy sobbed. "I...I got your letters and felt awful when I finally realized what I'd done. What I'd sacrificed. I started to think of what might happen if I lost any of you before I could...."

The young man was now struggling to speak coherently. "And...well...do you...do you think any of you ever forgive me?"

"Oh...come here." Fred pulled his brother in a headlock and ruffled his hair vigorously. "Of course we forgive you, ya numpty."

"Really?" sniffed Percy.

"Sure. It's what brothers do, remember?" said George. "Of course..."

He gave a sly look to the rest of the Weasley family, now standing in a circle around them.

"...That doesn't mean that we won't hold this over you for years to come. Probably use it to blackmail or manipulate you with it for the rest of your life."

Percy nodded. "Sounds like a fair trade to me."

The Weasley family embraced until the small but commanding voice of Professor Flitwick piped up and said, "While this is all very touching, I think we need to get started. If dusk is indeed our deadline that gives us less than six hours to ready our welcoming party for You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort," stated Minerva McGonagall. 

The utterance of that name caused the entire room to immediately fall silent as everyone gaped in shock at the Professor's temerity.

"His name is Voldemort, Filius," she repeated in a clear and distinct tone. "We might as well use it. He's going to try and kill us either way."  
  


**Early Evening - May 2, 1998**

With the assistance of Madame Pince and Professor Slughorn, Molly and Ginny helped oversee the evacuation of the younger students from the school while also alerting Aberforth of the upcoming battle. Everyone else began the task of setting the castle's defenses in order.

Once they felt reasonably certain that the perimeter was secure, Fred and George each took one of the goblin blades dipped in venom and destroyed the cup and the diadem. The destructive properties of each object were fairly well contained thanks to extra potent shield charms cast by Professor's Flitwick and McGonagall.

Afterwards, as the pair made their way to their assigned spots outside the Great Hall, Hermione pulled Fred aside and begged, "Stay safe, Fred. Please? You've promised me a date with a room and a fire and I intend to collect. A deal is a deal, remember?"

"How could I forget? It's the second item on my to do list once this is all over."

"Second?!" Hermione arched an eyebrow. "And what, may I ask, is the first?"

Fred reached out and took her hand. "I was thinking perhaps we could go to Australia and find your parents first — if that's all right with you." 

Hermione gasped before throwing her arms around his neck. "Sweet Circe! Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore...."

Fred returned the embrace and teased, "Always the tone of surprise."

She kissed him passionately. "I love you, Fred Weasley."

"And I love you, Hermione Granger." He kissed her back before leading her to their spot along the defensive line in between George and Bill. "Now —are you ready to finish this thing once and for all?"

She gripped his free hand tight and nodded. "Absolutely."

Those words would be one of the last things Fred would remember from the battle. Once the fighting began in earnest everything around them melted into a blur until he heard a voice shouting his name and he turned to see a large portion of a nearby stone wall collapsing on top of him...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Late Evening May 2, 1998**

Chaos. Darkness. Pain. Screaming. Tears. 

Silence.

The next clear memory Fred Weasley had was squinting against a bright light until his vision cleared enough to make out the face of his twin brother hovering over head.

For a split second, Fred understood how Hermione felt when she woke up that first morning at Shell Cottage.

"George? Are you...Are we...?"

"Dead? Nope. Sorry. Gonna have to wait a while for that adventure," George said with a forced lightness. "Hate to break it to you but this isn't heaven, Freddie. It's St. Mungo's."

Fred struggled to sit up. "Hermione?! Where's Hermione?! Is she..."

"She's fine," answered George, placing a firm hand on Fred's shoulder and forcing him to lie back down.

"Where is she?" Fred demanded.

"She's outside," assured George. "You thought Madame Pomfrey was strict about visitation? You should see the Healer they've assigned you in here. Makes dear old Madame Pince look like a cuddly teddy bear. You're only allowed one visitor at a time and once they swore to Hermione that you were going to make it, she insisted I be the one to sit with you first."

"What about everyone else? Mum...Dad...Luna...Bi—?"

"Everyone's fine," said George but Fred detected a peculiar tone to his voice.

"What? What aren't you telling me, Georgie?"

"Everyone's going to make it," said George. "But...Percy took a pretty good hit. It was touch and go for a while but they're telling us he should make a full recovery."

"What happened?"

George ran a hand through his hair before admitting, "He got hit protecting me and Hermione."

"What?! What happened?! You said she..."

George raised his hand. "She's _fine_ , Freddie. I promise. We were standing next to each other when we saw the wall collapse on you. We rushed over to help and while we were focused on you, Dolohov came up behind us. Apparently he cast a nasty sectumsempra our way but Percy stepped in front of it."

"Percy?"

George nodded. "Thankfully Bill, Dad and Ron got there right away. They made short work of the bastard then cast a bunch of shield charms, which gave me, Luna and Hermione the opportunity to get you and Percy to the healers in time to save you."

"Why did he do that?"

"Who? Percy? I asked him that same question before he lost consciousness. You know what he said?" 

"No."

"He said, 'That's what brothers do.' "

There was a long moment of silence until Fred said, "I'm really glad Kitten made us write those letters."

"Me too. Would have been a bad deal if things had gone the other way and we'd left things they way they had been..."

Fred tried to push thoughts of what might have been out of his mind. He cleared his throat and asked, "What else happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Fred scrunched his forehead in thought. "I...I remember Percy's trick with the giants working pretty well. I remember Aberforth and Slughorn showing up with a bunch of reinforcements from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley then Griphook arriving with the goblin contingent. I also have a hazy recollection of Tonks having far too much fun transfiguring her face into various animals while taunting Death Eaters but I might have imagined that part...."

"Oh, no. That happened," smiled George. "Do you remember Oliver Wood swooping in with a bunch of his quidditch mates to provide air support alongside Charlie and the dragons?"

"Vaguely. Pretty sure I went down right after that."

"You did. So...let's see. When it became apparent things weren't going his way, You-Know-Who flew in to try and take charge. Harry confronted him and allowed himself to get hit. "

George shook his head sadly. "Merlin. That was awful. Everyone thought the scrawny little git was dead and all might have been lost but Neville rallied our side with a speech that even Oliver would have been proud of, then all hell broke loose. A few minutes later, Harry pops back up like nothing had happened to him and really started letting You-Know-Who have it. While Moldywarts was tussling with Harry, Ron got the snake to chase after him so Nev could behead the damn thing. As soon as that happened, Harry fired off one hell of a curse and disintegrated the Dark Lord once and for all."

"Sounds like it quite the party. Sorry I missed it. What kind of losses did our side sustain?"

"Bad but could've been a lot worse. We lost a number of students, including the poor Creevy kid. Colin, remember him? Some house elves. A couple of goblins but not Griphook, thankfully. We also lost Grawp...and Snape."

"I said from _our_ side."

"Yeah...about that...here's the thing. Turns out he _was_ on our side."

"What?!"

"I know, right? Surprised the hell out of all of us. Turns out the crafty old bugger had been working as a double agent for Dumbledore from the very beginning. Moldywarts killed him too, the poor bastard," George sighed. "Other than that just a lot of injuries in varying degrees of severity. Tonks and Lupin got pretty badly busted up. Tonks lost the little finger on her right hand and they're not sure if Remus' leg will ever be one hundred percent again but they're both alive so at least that's one less war orphan in the world."

"Was anyone else that we know significantly hurt?" Fred asked.

"Percy is the only other one I know of. Like I said, it was touch and go for a bit but Poppy got the bleeding stopped in time and the healers here say he should make a full recovery. It'll just take a while to get his strength back."

"What about me? Anything...permanent?"

"You? Nah. Thankfully you got hit on the part of you that has the most protection. Your thick skull."

George laughed before turning solemn. "You got lucky, Freddie. Damn lucky. Madame Pomfrey said if you'd been standing a foot closer to that wall or if we'd have gotten you the healers just a few minutes later, it might have been a different story. As it is you've got a decent concussion. You'll have a whopper of a headache tomorrow and you'll be sore as hell for a few days but other than that you're fine."

Fred nodded his understanding. "What about the other side? Who do we still have to worry about?"

"Well, I'm happy to report that besides You-Know-Who and Dolohov, we never have to see the likes of Greyback, Scabior or Bellatrix LeStrange ever again."

"Damn," muttered Fred, dropping his head back onto his pillow in frustration. "And who, may I ask, robbed me of the pleasure of topping Bellatrix myself?"

"Ummm...well...uh...that would be Mum," said George.

Fred's head popped up from the pillow, his eyes nearly bursting from his skull. "OUR Mum?"

George grinned. "Yep. After you and Percy got hurt, Bellatrix tried to kill Ginny while standing in front of Mum."

Fred made a face. "Ouch. THAT was a mistake."

"And then some," agreed George.

"Were Mum or Ginny hurt?"

"No. Both safe as houses and feisty as ever."

"And you _promise_ that Hermione's okay?"

George placed one hand on his heart and raised the other in the air. "I swear. Battered and bruised like the rest of us but other than being frantic about you, she's perfectly fine."

"Can I please see her now?"

"I'll try...," said George rising from his chair and heading for the door. "But she'll insist that Mum, Dad and the rest of us see you first. You know how our girl is about family."

George exited the room while Fred kept his eyes trained expectantly on the door. As George guessed the next person to enter was Molly, who fussed and preened over her son until Arthur poked his head in and demanded his time as well — as much to get Molly out as it was to satisfy his own need to check on his son.

The next visitor after Arthur was Bill and while Fred was glad to see his older sibling, he was on the brink of crawling out of the bed and finding Hermione himself. Bill sensed his brother's frustration and cut his own visit short, saying he'd send the next person in straight away.

A moment later the door swung open and Ron, Bill, George and Charlie shoved Hermione inside.

"Get in there," Charlie said. "He doesn't need our ugly mugs. You're who he wants to see."

She stumbled before regaining her balance and for a moment she just stood by the doorway, staring at the man in the bed while trying not to cry.

"Fred?" she said quietly. "Are...are you okay?"

“Yes, love." He smiled warmly at her. "I’m fine. How about you? Are you hurt?”

"No. I-I had a couple of cuts and bruises but Fleur fixed me up while we were in the waiting room." She took a cautious step forward, as if she thought any sudden movement might cause him to disappear. “Do-do you need anything?”

“I sure do,” he said, holding his arms open wide. “You.”

With that, Hermione dashed across the room and threw herself into his embrace. He pulled her onto the bed and held her tight.

“Oh, Fred! I was so frightened! The wall fell and I saw you on the ground and…”

She started to sob.

“Shh… It’s okay, Kitten. I'm okay and I'm not going anywhere, got it?" He pressed his lips against her forehead as he rubbed reassuring circles on her back. "You’re going to have to work a lot harder than that to get rid of me. Don't you remember? You’re stuck with me. Forever.”

She sniffed and shook her head. “I'm sorry but those terms are no longer satisfactory. I'm afraid that forever just isn't going to be long enough.”

“Fine. Then we'll just have to amend our agreement to forever and a day. Deal?”

She turned her face towards him, tears shimmering in her eyes before kissing him tenderly. 

“Deal.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Epilogue**

**One Year Later - May 1999**

"Can you see the boats yet?" asked George.

"Not yet," said Fred. "Should be any minute now, though."

"They set out as soon it gets dark, you said?" asked Hermione's mother.

"Yes, just like they took us all across the lake to the Castle at the start of our first year."

Fred smiled at Mister and Missus Granger, fully recovered with their memories completely restored, now staring eagerly across the glassy waters of Black Lake awaiting the boat carrying their daughter back from Hogwarts.

During the time Hermione's parents lived in Australia they'd not only fallen in love with the country, they'd also managed to build a thriving dental practice in Melbourne so they'd opted to continue living there even after their daughter and Fred tracked them down and reversed the obliviation spell following the last battle.

However, the couple didn't like the idea of missing their only child's graduation, so Fred and George enlisted Percy's help in navigating the labyrinth of Ministerial red tape so they could sneak the Grangers in as a surprise for Hermione's special day.

"There! In the distance!" called Molly. "I can just make out the lights!"

Eventually more and more lanterns could be seen reflected in the water and soon they spotted Hagrid in the first boat, leading his charges safely back the same way they'd arrived all those years ago. He disembarked with a grace borne from many years of practice before lifting each student to shore one final time.

He set Hermione on the ground and she immediately started towards Fred before realizing who was standing beside him.

"Mum! Dad!" She ran to embrace her parents. "What are you doing here?"

"We weren't about to miss this," smiled Mark Granger.

"But how...?" Hermione asked.

Alice Granger tipped her head towards Fred. "Do you really think this one _wasn't_ going to move heaven and earth to make something happen for you?"

Hermione fought back tears as she hugged Fred. "Thank you. Thank you so much. This is the best present you could've ever given me."

"Oh...I wouldn't say that..." said Mister Granger.

Hermione released Fred and turned towards her father. "Excuse me?"

"The graduation isn't the only reason we're here, darling," said Missus Granger.

Hermione appeared lost. "Sorry? I don't follow."

"I thought you might want them around for this as well..." said Fred from behind her.

Hermione spun around to find Fred on one knee holding a small velvet box towards her.

"...Of course, if you say 'no' it'll be a bit awkward but at least not an entirely wasted trip...."

Hermione inhaled sharply when he opened the box to reveal an elegant gold ring featuring an exquisite diamond solitaire. Fred swallowed hard before launching into his prepared speech.

"Hermione Granger. Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to call you my friend, my confidante and my partner in crime — all under totally legitimate and justifiable circumstances, sir — "

Fred rushed to explain that last point to Hermione's bemused father before turning his attention back to the witch in question.

"You have tolerated my crazy ideas, encouraged my dreams and ambitions and taught me more about life, love and magic than I could have ever hoped of learning. You've also been more than willing to smack me upside my thick skull when I've needed it — which has been more often than I'd like to admit."

"Amen!" interjected George.

"Here, here!" seconded Bill, causing the assembled crowd to laugh out loud.

"Oi! Pipe down, you lot," said Fred with a roll of his eyes and a wink towards Hermione.

"In light of all that, it would be my sincere honor and privilege if you would consider also allowing me to call you my wife. If you find that arrangement acceptable I swear that I will spend the rest of my life protecting you, providing for you, entertaining you and loving you. Forever and a day."

He held his breath as he raised the ring box. "So...what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and struggled to contain the emotion in her voice.

"Fred Weasley. You and your brother were not only the first friends I made in this world, you were the first real friends I'd ever found. Through your influence I learned to accept who I am and came to realize that anything is possible if you've got enough nerve. It has been through your support and encouragement that I've also learned how to protect, entertain, provide for and love myself."

She took a step closer and extended her trembling left hand towards him with a smile. 

"However, even though I can do all those things on my own, I'd much rather do them with you by my side. So the answer is yes, Fred Weasley. We have a deal."

The entire shoreline erupted in cheers as Fred slipped the ring on Hermione's finger then pulled her into a passionate embrace while George set off a several clusters of Whiz Poppers in the background.

xxx

**Three Weeks Later**

"May I have this dance, Mrs. Weasley?" Fred asked as he clicked his heels and gave a formal bow.

"You may, Mister Weasley," replied Hermione, gathering the folds of her wedding gown in one hand while taking Fred's hand with the other.

She giggled happily as Fred literally swept her off her feet and onto the makeshift dance floor that had been laid out under the tent in the backyard of the Burrow.

Hermione grinned at the sight of Arthur and Molly trying to learn the latest dance moves from Ginny and Harry while Neville, Ron, Lee and Angelina looked on in amusement.

"Has your mother forgiven us yet for only giving her three weeks' notice?"

"Not to worry. She's so excited about the impending arrival of her first grandchild she's willing to forgive almost anything at this point."

He tipped his head towards the very pregnant Fleur, who was sitting in the corner with her feet propped up on a chair, engaging in an animated conversation with Garrick Ollivander and Xenophilius Lovegood.

"It's good to see Luna's Dad out and about," said Hermione. "It looks like he's improving."

"They say he's doing much better," agreed Fred. "Still has his bad days, of course, but the same could be said for all of us, I suppose."

"So when is Georgie planning on popping the question to Luna?" asked Hermione as she spotted the couple in question chatting with Charlie and Griphook about the condition of the Gringott's dragon.

Fred leaned forward and whispered, "You didn't hear it from me but he's thinking about giving her a ring at Christmas then getting married on her birthday in February."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Bold move. Best have the eggnog spiked before telling Molly she has another short notice wedding to plan."

"Nah. It'll be fine. We'll make sure she's holding the baby when George tells her. She won't try anything too violent whilst holding her grand-daughter."

Fred twirled Hermione in time to the music then spun her back into his arms. She smiled as she gazed over at Remus and Tonks, who were showing off young Teddy's metamorphic abilities to Hermione's delighted parents.

"It will be nice for Teddy to have a playmate when the baby comes."

Fred nodded. "Who knows...maybe one day he and Bill's daughter can babysit our children."

Hermione laughed. "While I look forward to that happening one day, can we finish the wedding reception before we start planning the nursery?"

"Sorry," Fred grinned. "Wasn't pushing you. We've got loads of time. I was just allowing myself the luxury of dreaming about the future."

"You're right. That _is_ a luxury," Hermione sighed and rested her head against his chest. "It's funny to think of how close we came to not having any of this."

Fred tightened his grip on her and said in a low voice, "But we do, Kitten. And that's the important thing."

They danced in contented silence until Hermione looked up and said, "Fred? Will you make me another deal?"

"Anything. Name it."

"Promise me that we'll never take any of this for granted. That we'll remember how it felt to have everyone we love here, safe and sound. That we'll always be aware of how lucky we were to have made it through everything — together."

Fred lowered his face towards her and kissed her tenderly.

"Absolutely. You've got yourself a deal, Kitten."

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you've read this far, I sincerely thank you for your time and for making this my most successful work to date. If you have the opportunity, please check out some of my other stories and let me know what you think! Also, stay tuned for my first attempt at the rare pairing of Hermione and Oliver Wood which I'll hopefully have finished before I have to move house in March. Thank you again!


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